The bill seeking to merge Rwanda Horticulture Development Authority (RHODA), Rwanda Tea Authority (OCIR THE), Rwanda Coffee Development Authority (OCIR CAFÉ) and Rwanda Livestock and Animal Development Authority (RARDA) is close.

The agricultural organisations currently under the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) are already operating under the same budget even before the bill merging them is yet to be passed by parliament.

This was revealed by Agnes Kalibata, the Minister of Agriculture, who explained that it was a miscalculation by the ministry on the timeframe for passing the bill.

"They are under the same budget because it had been foreseen that by this time the merger bill before parliament will have been passed into law,” she said.

Klibata said that the merger is vital because it will: "minimize expenses and maximize on delivery.”

When contacted, Peter Muvara the head of RHODA, confirmed that the organizations are already operating on one budget as they wait for the bill to be passed.

"Yes, we are operating under one budget but the bill is still in parliament and we hope it will be passed soon,” he said.  Previously, a bill for the formation of an institution for quality control within the ministry was rejected by parliament.

But Kalibata was optimistic that by the beginning of next year the bill will have been promulgated into law.

Government has of recent embarked on a programme to merge different institutions as a way of expediting delivery of services in the public sector.

The first merger saw the establishment of the Rwanda Development Board which has now been in existence for a year.

Other merger bills that are yet to be passed into laws include that of the Education Board and the Insurance Board among others.

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