The Burundian government pays out more than 11 billion Burundian francs (about US$ 11 million) for rented offices annually, PANA learnt from the Association of Burundian consumers (ABUCO).
A recent ABUCO study on the issue said the figure could be bigger than the annual budgets of some ministries and state institutions.
According to ABUCO, the ministry of External Relations and International Cooperation pays the most rent for offices.
The ministry was allocated 4.3 billion Burundian francs (about US$ 4.3 million) or 38.6% of the overall budget, to lease offices.
The Burundi Diplomatic missions abroad also pay their rents in hard currency.
The Department of Public Health and of the fight against AIDS spends more than a billion Burundian francs (about US$ 1 million) also on rents.
Other institutions also housed in rented offices are the presidency, the Senate, the Court of Auditors and the Office of the Ombudsman.
ABUCO said the development was hampering economic growth and urged the government to initiate the process of erecting its own office buildings
