Published on October 21, 2025
Small traders have expressed serious concern since the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR) imposed on them the purchase of an electronic invoicing device, mandatory for all sellers.
The cost of this device is set at 1,500,000 Burundian francs, an amount deemed unaffordable by many traders whose capital is sometimes less than that. Those who do not acquire it risk penalties.
Some shopkeepers complain:
“It’s a real injustice. How can they demand a device at this price when our businesses don’t even bring in that much money? If we buy it, we risk not having enough to continue operating. The OBR seems to want to eliminate us.”
They also denounce irregularities in the allocation of the devices: traders with large quantities of goods do not receive them, while others, much less established, easily obtain them through corruption.
Faced with this situation, small business owners believe that the OBR should review its policy. This could be done either by reducing the price of the devices or by reserving this requirement for businesses with substantial capital and higher revenues.
King Umurundi Freedom Organization