Parliament watchdog queries faults in implementation of govt projects

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised concern over ‘dubious’ and stalling public projects eating into taxpayers’ money and called on the government to ensure more accountability. Tabling a field report before the Plenary at the Lower House, yesterday, the public watchdog committee members said performance audit carried out on eight government projects showed a big gap in budget execution. Basing on key national development policies, the committee assessed implementation of seriously affected programmes/projects in the field of energy, agricultural, infrastructure and financial services, amongst others. The projects in question, according to Juvenal Nkusi, the chairperson of the committee, include Electricity Access Rollout Programme (EARP), irrigation and mechanisation programmes, contract management of the former EWSA casual employees; procurement, and contract management of road construction and rehabilitation. Also assessed were collections of taxes by Rwanda Revenue Authority from local government levels, mining sector and its impact on the environment, contract management of electricity and water dealers and the failed construction of Nyarushishi Genocide Memorial Centre in Rusizi District. According to Nkusi, in EARP, value for money of around Rwf300 billion from both government and development partners was not entirely realised after the programme slowed due to a number of challenges. Nkusi said initially the project was designed in line with the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II), where government and donors had pledged 80 per cent of their commitment leaving 20 per cent of the implementation to be sorted by Rwanda Energy Group (REG) and the end user consumer who was to incur minor costs to be supplied with electricity. “However, we realised the programme concept was not studied well; consumers’ awareness on the project was inexistent on top of being financially incapacitated to buy electricity, some people bought it once and surrendered,” he said. “There was also low supply of electricity, poor maintenance of facilities in place and poor coordination between REG and local government officials.” According to Nkusi, identified challenges in this particular programme would significantly affect projected targets in the energy sector should the government fail to devise immediate solutions ahead of more ambitious projects such as the envisaged importation of 30 megawatts from Kenya. Idling agricultural projects Nkusi also told the House that another costly project that received much attention but ended up flopping was about irrigation and mechanisation programme in the agriculture sector. The programme, conceived in 2011, and was to be implemented at a cost of more than Rwf10 billion, stalled after some of the procured machinery broke down due to poor maintenance. “The government had purchased 116 machines to use in drip, sprinklers, centre pivot and hydrant irrigations, but later turned out to be idle because farmers couldn’t afford to rent them besides poor management and implementation,” he added. Projects commissioned irregularly PAC also cautioned against illegal issuance of tenders in roads construction, which were planned in the establishment of basic infrastructural projects in the rural areas of the country. The projects for both loose surface and tarmac roads, which fall within the docket of the Rwanda Transport and Development Agency, are said to have been marred by irregularities in tendering process. “Two road projects, the 15.3-kilometre Jomba-Shyira in Nyabihu, and Kigali- Ruhengeri road, worth more than Rwf8 billion in total, were commissioned without bidding process and the procurement board was not informed,” Nkusi said. He said 16 road construction and rehabilitation projects, worth about Rwf74 billion, called for additional financial support of about Rwf10 billion, saying this shows that the projects were poorly studied. Legislators said the stalling of the projects mainly derived from poor concepts and feasibility studies, poor coordination between investors and respective entities, lack of regular monitoring and strict enforcement of administrative measures against carelessness. “It doesn’t make sense if we are struggling to produce more electricity and then fail to distribute the little we have, what will happen to the electricity we want to import from Kenya and Ethiopia,” MP Constance Mukayuhi said. “There is need for stronger monitoring and efficient interventions because taxpayers money cannot increasingly be wasted in valueless projects.” The House endorsed the report and called for more accountability on the projects whose respective institutions will need to appear before Parliament to explain further on raised issues. MPs also tasked the Judiciary to investigate suspected corruption cases in some of the projects in question. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Parliament watchdog queries faults in implementation of govt projects