Rwanda's Accountant General, Fred Mujuni, has been appointed chairperson of the Eastern and Southern African Association of Accountants General (ESAAG).

The fifteen-year old association is currently conducting its 16th annual conference in Kigali, under the theme "Achieving excellence in service delivery through public financial management reforms.”

Mujuni who will head the association for the next one year said that Rwandan accountants have so far learned a lot from other member countries in terms of service delivery.

"We have gained a lot of skills about financial reporting and budgeting from these other countries,” he said.

Rwanda joined the association in 2005. He was however quick to add that his task will not be an easy one, citing challenges that include lack of skills for their members.

This, according to Mujuni, is why he has opted to concentrate on the training of the members on a wide range of financial management issues during his tenure.

ESAAG is a cooperation effort between Accountants General from fourteen Eastern and Southern African countries with the aim of assisting each other to improve government accounting systems in order to produce financial statements that conform to international standards.

The association also supports the improvement of the democratic processes through transparency and accountability while strengthening the accounting profession.

According to Freeman Nomvalo, the ESAAG outgoing Chairman and South Africa`s Accountant General, the accountants’ role should be to speak up and show the real image of a nation about its financial management.

"We are accountants. Our duty is to tell the story,” Nomvalo urged his peers.

Officiating at the opening ceremony of the conference, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, James Musoni said that accountants should always examine value for money by controlling the expenditure with an aim of promoting service delivery.

"That is how you can meet the expectations of those you serve,” Musoni said, promising necessary support to the new chairman and his team.

Taking place at Kigali Serena Hotel, the 16th ESAAG conference has brought together accountants from Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Rwanda.

Ends