Great Lakes Economic Summit: The Road to Prosperity

King’s Conference Center, Bujumbura, Burundi | June 5, 2019

120 Entrepreneurs, decision-makers and journalists from 6 countries gathered to discuss the regulatory obstacles facing businesses in the Great Lakes. Dr. Patrick Mardini retraced the relation between economic freedom and the reduction of poverty. Countries belonging to the highest quartile of economic freedom live 15 years longer, have 8x less infant mortality, and profit from a higher life satisfaction.

The poorest in the free countries count less than 5% of the population compared to 50% in the least free and the income earned by the poorest 10% is 11x higher. The region of the Great Lakes should liberate its economy to catch up with the prosperity following the example of several Asian countries.

Click Here to Read the Article in French
Other media platforms that covered the summit: Kivu AVENIR