[1] The Council of Ministers blamed the shortages on the absence of a public body able to centralize the country's supplies, and thus to better manage funds intended for fuel imports.
[1] Presidential decree 100/034 of 20 February 2024 created the Société Pétroliere du Burundi (SOPEBU) a publicly owned company, under the Ministry of Energy.
[3] Gabriel Rufyiri, President of Olucome, noted that the government had a record of poor management of publicly owned companies such as Cotebu, Verundi, Cadebu, ONAPHA, Otrabu and Air Burundi.
[1][4] People or companies that had invested in trucks and barges to transport fuel, and in storage and distribution infrastructure, would have to negotiate a deal with Sopebu or else sell out.
[2] In March 2024 Rosine Guilene Gatoni, spokesperson for the president of the Republic of Burundi, said Sopebu would be responsible for monitoring the entire fuel supply process and its distribution to the population on a daily basis.
[7] Ibrahim Uwizeye, Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines, announced that fuel distribution would be digitalized, starting on 3 September 2024 in Bujumbura Mairie and later in the provinces.