Burundi’s economy up in smoke after market fire

The main market in Burundi’s capital was once the heart of the country, a bustling and crowded business zone that drove the national economy.

Four months after Bujumbura’s key covered market was razed to the ground by a sweeping fire, the impact is still being keenly felt in the impoverished east African country with tax revenues down by a fifth.

Most of the traders lost their livelihoods in the fierce blaze that also consumed storage facilities, and now are struggling.

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“The fire in the market was devastating, and now we have begun to see its effects on the economy,” said finance ministry spokesman Desire Musharitse. “State revenue dropped by 20 per cent in the three months that followed.”

http://www.africareview.com/Special-Reports/Burundi-economy-up-in-smoke-after-market-fire/-/979182/1878832/-/15mry8q/-/index.html