Gicumbi District is seeking more time to clear outstanding debts it owes its contractors. The District Advisory Council had given the district three months to pay various service providers. Speaking to The New Times, the District Executive Secretary, Sinese Museveni, said three months was not enough. “We need more time because we are dealing with arrears of the last three to six years, so it’s a very technical problem one cannot solve in a rush,” explained Museveni. He clarified that the debts amount to over Rwf 500 million not Rwf 97 million as earlier indicated. “I’m still new in this office. This issue is more complicated than the authorities think,” he said, adding that he is ready to give a full report on the issue when requested.He said over Rwf 194 million has so far been paid. “I’m doing my best to clear some creditors, especially those who possess binding legal documents. But I don’t know where the rest of money will come from because the debts are beyond our ability”. According to the findings by the council, work on over 39 projects, among them agricultural ones, stopped after contractors claimed they were not being paid.Several of them have sued the district. Museveni, however, said there are some contractors, who claim for payments yet they did not accomplish their duties. Ends
