KCC to enhance project monitoring mechanism

City of Kigali officials have said they will undertake closer monitoring of development projects reflected in the 2012-2013 budget for effective implementation after encountering several hitches.A recent review by the Ministry of Local Government indicated that Kigali City had implemented only 35 per cent of projects, a few months before the just concluded financial year ended. However, officials countered the claim insisting that 63 per cent of projects worth Rw`f10 billion were implemented.Speaking to The New Times, on Thursday, the Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Planning, Alphonse Nizeyimana, said city authorities would now embark on monitoring the implementation of several projects outlined in the city’s budget this year.“We will strongly monitor how these projects are implemented, especially those executed by private contractors. We actually work to be always completed ahead of time,” Nizeyimana said.“We hope to have implemented most of the development projects planned for this fiscal year by December 2012.” The fiscal year ends in June of every year. The City of Kigali (KCC) recently approved a budget of Rwf 39.6 billion for the 2012/2013 fiscal year with 88 percent of the funds being allocated to development activities.Nizeyimana told The New Times that most of the infrastructural projects particularly the proposed rehabilitation and construction of 44 kilometres of roads in the city will be completed by the end of this year.According to city officials, the delays in remitting of donor funds were hampering the implementation process especially in road construction and maintenance, installation of traffic lights and construction of health centres, which according to the Nizeyimana, have now attained 90 percent completion rate.About Rwf2.5 billion had been earmarked for the construction of four health centres in Kigali city districts.According to a review carried out in May, just a month to the end of the fiscal year, by the Ministry of Local Government, only eight districts countrywide had by then exceeded 80 per cent execution of their respective budgets.The district authorities cited delays in receiving funds.Legislators have also condemned the districts for failing to settle private contractors yet huge amounts of money remain in the city council’s accounts on time.They bemoaned that this was one of the major causes of delays in implementation of projects.

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KCC to enhance project monitoring mechanism