Focus on District Budgets

Rwamagana/Karongi/Ruhango/Muhanga/Musanze - Rwamagana District plans to spend Rwf 7.4 billion this fiscal year, the bulk of which will be channelled into development projects. The estimates were presented by Mayor Nehemie Uwimana last Sunday to the District Advisory Council. The Council was informed that the biggest chunk of the funds is expected to come from the Central Government to the tune of about Rwf 6.29 billion. The district is expected to chip in with Rwf408 million from internal revenues, while NGOs will contribute Rwf300m.Emile Mutunzi, the chairperson of the District Advisory Council, reiterated the need for the local authorities to widen their tax base. “It is of vital importance that we start thinking about developing the district by assessing all weaknesses in revenue collection”, he noted. Estimates by local leaders In Karongi District indicate that this year’s budget has almost doubled. Developmental activities such as agriculture, education and health services, will this year take the lion’s share totaling 49 percent. The budget estimates indicates that the district’s public expenditure will rise to Rwf11.2 billion, up from last year’s Rwf5.7 billion. Among the infrastructure projects lined up in the budget is the construction of a public settlement and implementation of the master plan of the district’s largest town of Kibuye. While speaking after a special session of the District Council called to discuss the estimates, Council President, Mathias Abimana, said that stakeholder involvement was necessary for the purposes of boosting good governance within the local government. “By asking the public to contribute to such decisions in one way or another, improves the level of good governance and accountability within the local government,” Abimana said. In Muhanga and Ruhango districts the budget presentations indicate that they will mainly focus on development and infrastructure projects. Over Rwf6.7 billion has been earmarked by Ruhango for infrastructure, schools, health and roads, while Rwf7.5billion will be allocated to urbanisation activities, construction of feeder roads and general hygiene in Muhanga. The Governor of the Southern Province, Fidèle Ndayisaba, presided over both forums. He encouraged Muhanga district to maintain its steady speed of modernisation. “The urban development and modernisation of town centres has been prioritised in all districts. I hope that all the districts will keep up the development pace since the work done has been commendable so far,” Ndayisaba said. Muhanga Mayor, Yvonne Mutakwasuku, stressed the importance of stakeholder involvement in the implementation of development targets. “The fiscal year budget will enable the district to attain its development targets and contribution of residents, development partners is highly needed to achieve the targets,” she said. In Rulindo the District Council approved a Rwf 7 billion budget whose focus will be centred around provision of infrastructure as stipulated in its performance contract. The Mayor, Justus Kangwagye, said the bulk of the funds will be sourced from the Central Government amounting to over Rwf 6 billion. The district will contribute over Rwf 344 million to be drawn from its internal revenue the rest is expected to come from donors. Kangwagye added that this year’s budget has been drawn up for the purposes of increasing economic production in order to ensure the district’s self reliance. Local authorities in Musanze say that this year’s budget is mainly focused on addressing the rehabilitation of Ruhengeri town as well as education and provision of water. The budget estimates show that spending by the district will increase from Rwf6 billion to Rwf 9billion. However authorities voiced concerns at what they termed as challenges in the budget making process and eventual implementation, citing a Rwf 218 million deficit. Winifrida Mpembyemungu, the district Mayor, revealed that the deficit is likely to affect certain components of the district’s programmes during the new fiscal year. This report was compiled by Stephen Rwembeho, Sam Nkurunziza, Daniel Sabiiti , Bonny Mukombozi,& Ambrose Gahene

National

Focus on District Budgets