Interview: Burundian minister commends cooperation with China in ICT sector

BUJUMBURA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Burundi enjoys its cooperation with China and the African country's mobile connectivity has significantly improved thanks to the help of Chinese communication companies, a minister has said.

"Cooperation is positive if we consider achievements recorded by Chinese companies in the communications sector in Burundi," said Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and Media Leocadie Ndacayisaba said here in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"The Burundian population has now access to the digital television thanks to (Chinese pay television company) Startimes. Besides, the population has access to mobile telephones thanks to the equipment supplied by (Chinese technology company) Huawei," said Ndacayisaba.

The minister said that the Chinese communications companies have greatly contributed to the opening up of Burundian people's lives, even in the country's remote areas.

She particularly mentioned the Chinese satellite TV project for 10,000 African villages, among which 500 are in Burundi.

"Thanks to the satellite TV project, people living in Burundi's remotest areas have been able to get useful information from all over the world. Farmers now have access to information on agriculture, science or health. This has a big positive impact on the population's daily life," she said.

Those television programs have broadened Burundians' horizons and help them fight against poverty, she added.

Huawei is the main company that supplies equipment to communications companies in Burundi.

"With the mobile connectivity throughout the whole country, the population has access to communication, mobile financial services. This allows households to remain connected despite the distance," said Ndacayisaba.