Members of Parliament on Wednesday, June 24 approved Rwf7.8 trillion State budget for 2026/27, following a government adjustment that redirected about Rwf400 billion from the Budget Framework Paper (BFP) towards priority sectors, including agriculture, social protection, support for vulnerable genocide survivors and feeder roads.

The draft law determining the State budget, which contains 23 articles, was adopted unanimously by all 63 lawmakers present in the Chamber of Deputies.

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Presenting the committee report to the plenary sitting, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on State Budget and Patrimony Odette Uwamariya said the changes followed a review of government spending priorities after institutions submitted additional financing requirements beyond earlier projections.

"After allocating funds for planned activities for the 2026/2027 fiscal year, institutions identified additional funding requirements. Following a reassessment of priorities and consideration of Parliament’s recommendations, approximately Rwf400 billion was reallocated from some projects to others considered more urgent, while remaining needs will be addressed in the medium term,” she explained.

The approved budget is 12 per cent higher than the revised 2025/26 budget of Rwf6.95 trillion.

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Spending priorities

One of the sectors that gained from the revised allocations is agriculture and livestock.

The agriculture and livestock sector received an additional Rwf3.08 billion in 2026/2027, increasing from Rwf352.55 billion in the draft framework to Rwf355.64 billion.

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The committee noted that funding for the sector is expected to continue rising in the medium term as the government seeks to strengthen agricultural production and support broader economic transformation goals.

Social protection was another area that received additional resources, with the allocation increasing by Rwf7.28 billion compared with the preliminary framework.

Part of that increase went to support vulnerable survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The budget allocated to support vulnerable survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi increased by Rwf2.85 billion, reaching Rwf19.05 billion from the originally proposed Rwf16.21 billion, with further increases expected in the medium term.

The committee said the government is also refining longer term social protection interventions aimed at connecting vulnerable citizens with opportunities and helping households move out of poverty while maintaining support for those unable to do so independently.

Although the transport sector recorded a slight decline from initial projections due to completion of some ongoing projects, Parliament welcomed additional financing directed to feeder roads.

The committee confirmed that funding for feeder roads rose by Rwf483 million from Rwf1.24 billion in the draft framework to Rwf1.73 billion in the budget under consideration.

Other sectors prioritised through the revised allocations include classroom construction, procurement of medical equipment and increasing the number of healthcare professionals.

Of the total approved budget, Rwf5.31 trillion will finance recurrent expenditure while Rwf2.49 trillion will go to development spending.

The largest share of spending will go to economic transformation programmes at Rwf4.9 trillion, followed by social transformation at Rwf1.83 trillion and governance programmes at Rwf1.19 trillion.

Domestic revenue and borrowing will finance 93 per cent of the budget, with tax revenues accounting for 56.8 per cent of total financing. Foreign grants will contribute 7 per cent while external borrowing will make up 25.3 per cent.