The Jessy Blessing Company (JEBC) is evolving safe and sound despite some challenges. It has a production capacity of 120 tons of salt per day, pays taxes and contributes to job creation. Consumers appreciate the salt produced by this company. For these reasons, the officials of this company are asking decision makers to protect it
Eulfride Niyongere, General Manager of Jessy Blessing Company: “It was around 2019 that I decided to create an edible salt processing plant”.
On the sidelines of the International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8 every year, Eulfride Niyongere, General Manager of Jessy Blessing Company, an edible salt processing factory, asks women to work with courage to develop their families in particular and the country in general.
She specifies that even God qualifies as a good woman the one who does everything possible to feed her family. According to her, there must be no one who argues that it is only men who take care of their families. It suggests that women play an important role in development.
The emblematic example of this bravery is the promoter of Jessy Blessing Company Eulfride Niyongere. Around 2007, it made it known that it was importing the salt. It was a finished product for sale in Burundi.
However, it was around 2019 that she decided to create an edible salt processing plant. “The idea came from the appeal launched by the decision makers who encouraged the population to create industries with the aim of generating a lot of products that can be exported.“, she explains.
When the dream becomes reality
With the support of her husband, her dream became a reality. In 2022, she points out that this couple together with other associates started to build this factory.
According to Niyongere, the trials of the implementation of his project started in January 2023 in collaboration with the BBN and the CNTA. She argues that these institutions ensured quality control and compliance with environmental standards.s.
And on January 23, 2023, this plant received a certificate of conformity from the BBN. So far, Niyongere points out that edible salt produced by JEBC is on the market.
JEBC contributes to job creation.
«We have already set up agencies to facilitate the supply of this product. In Bujumbura-Mairie, it is located in the industrial district at the place called G6 (Kigeri). In Gitega, it is located in the central market of the political capital. Regarding the two that remain, the first is located in the capital of Ngozi province and the second in the capital of Cibitoke province.she clarifies.
On the sidelines of the visit made by the Minister in charge of Industry and Trade on Friday March 3, 2023 to Jessy Blessing Company, Niyongere said that the company is evolving positively despite certain challenges.
She confides that this company has a production capacity of 120 tons per day. This shows that this company is capable of satisfying the local market, especially since the daily demand fluctuates around 60 tons of salt per day, because the threshold of the World Health Organization is set at 5 g per day and per person for a population of over 12 million.
Jessy Blessing Company contributes to job creation
Moreover, it suggests that the Jessy Blessing Company contributes to the creation of employment. Currently, it has 121 employees including two of Indian nationality and one of Tanzanian nationality. These are technicians who came to support local staff with the aim of producing a quality product in accordance with WHO standards and the quality assurance required by the government, insists Ms. Niyongere.
And to rejoice that the salt produced by JEBC is appreciated by consumers. She gives the example of the inhabitants of the province of Ngozi. After seeing that JEBC’s salt is of good quality, Niyongere is delighted that consumers rushed to buy it. She also asks the population to consume iodized salt to avoid contracting diseases such as goitre, etc.
This is why she asks the decision makers to protect this factory, because it also pays taxes and contributes to the creation of employment.
The energy deficit and the lack of foreign exchange, major challenges
Despite these advances, this manager of the JEBC company asks the State to contribute to the search for sustainable solutions to its major challenges, in this case the energy deficit and the lack of foreign currency.
With a view to protecting local industries, Niyongere calls on the State to take measures that encourage JEBC in particular and local investors in general, as they have spent a lot of money to build and buy high-end machinery for get to that level.
Another major challenge raised is the lack of energy supply. Following untimely power cuts, we produce insufficient quantities estimated at 60 tons or 70 tons of salt per day while the production capacity of the factory is 120 tons.
JEBC has a production capacity of 120 tons per day.
The lack of currency adds drama to drama. On the parallel market, Niyongere explains that currencies are expensive. This has a negative impact on the price, because the higher the cost of currencies, the higher the cost of the product produced.
The Minister in charge of Trade and Industry reassures
Marie Chantal Nijimbere, minister in charge of industry and tourism affirms that the energy deficit and the lack of foreign exchange are common challenges for all local industrialists. However, she reassures that the State is at work to find solutions to all these challenges. By way of illustration, she pointed out that a lot of hydroelectric dams are being built. Finally, she asked the managers of Jessy Blessing Company to always ensure the quality of the salt they produce.
Note that the Jessy Blessing Company salt is packaged in 25 kg bags and in small half-kilogram sachets.
