Members of Parliament, on Thursday, established the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and reduced the number of Standing Committees from eleven to nine.

The creation of PAC follows the amendment of the Law establishing internal rules of the Chamber of Deputies.

The new committee is a demonstration, on the part of the leadership, of the commitment to promote accountability and fight corruption.  

Rwanda has been characterized by zero tolerance for corruption and institutions like the Police, the office of the Ombudsman and the judiciary, have been at the forefront of fighting graft.

With PAC now in place, the fight has gotten a boost and the level of accountability, especially from public institutions will be more impressive.

The Auditor General’s office, annually, releases a report on the government’s expenditure, which is presented to parliament.

With the new committee, the findings and recommendations from the report will be examined critically and acted upon accordingly.

Fighting corruption and ensuring accountability requires collective and concerted efforts. There is no doubt that PAC along with other institutions can help enforce zero tolerance on corruption if they closely work together.

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