The President of the Chamber of Deputies in Rwanda has said that Parliamentarians have a major role to play in Africa’s recovery from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic such as through budget allocation to priority initiatives and its effective execution.

Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa said that this is in line with the legislators’ responsibility to oversee government activities, and ensuring that the development projects are implemented and yield results.

Delegates pose for a group photo during t the 12th Conference of Presidents of Assemblies, and the Branches of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie’s Africa Region in Kigali on May 26 (Sam Ngendahimana)

She made the observations on Wednesday, May 26 in Kigali as she officially opened the 12th Conference of Presidents of Assemblies and the Branches of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF)’s Africa Region.

The conference which the Parliament of Rwanda hosts from May 25 to 28 was convened to discuss issues including the recovery from Covid-19.

About 90 participants, including the Presidents of parliamentary assemblies and members of parliaments in the African region are taking part in this conference.

Some delegates follow Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa's remarks during the 12th Conference of Presidents of Assemblies and the Branches of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF)’s Africa Region.

She said that the entire world experienced difficult circumstances induced by the Covid-19 pandemic which shook the countries’ economies and had a negative impact on social and health aspect.

"In line with economic recovery, parliamentarians have a major responsibility to enact laws, and consider which sectors should get more funding allocation when approving the national budget, but also to monitor to ensure that the allocated resources to various initiatives are put to good use to deliver intended results in an efficient way,” she said.

Faustin Boukoubi, Speaker of Gabonese National Assembly, and Chair of the APF-Africa Region conference in Kigali

The Speaker indicated that different strategies for the recovery from the pandemic were set in respective countries, pointing out that Africa has enormous potentials that can contribute to such recovery.  

"It is up to us to safeguard our dignity, to strengthen our solidarity based on the common ambition to advance our countries, our continent and the African people whom we are privileged to represent,” she said.

The African continent, she said, has enormous wealth (resource), and should be self-reliant as that could help it mainly invest in industrialisation, educations of its children, the health of its population, research, technology and innovation, service, job creation and infrastructure development in order to facilitate trade among its countries.

She said that cooperation, consultation, dialogue, and exchange of experience are important for the good governance and sustainable economic development which takes into account the realities and the needs of African people.

The 12th Conference of Presidents of Assemblies and the Branches of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF)’s Africa Region in Kigali.

"As parliamentarians, we will make sure that our resources are managed in such a way that they contribute to the socio-economic transformation that we want,” she said.

Faustin Boukoubi, Speaker of Gabonese National Assembly, and Chair of the APF-Africa Region conference in Kigali it is a venue intended to allow the parliamentarians to exchange on the challenges of inter-parliamentary cooperation, the Francophonie and current issues affecting the region, as well as their role in addressing them.

"We will consider the actions or contributions of our parliaments in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, with the understanding that it stalls or it slows down development throughout the continent in particular, and across the world in general,” he said.