Editorial: Rwanda cannot afford wasteful spending

In the last two weeks alone, three top officials have been arrested for various offences, ranging from favoritism when awarding tenders, gross mismanagement and expenditures that are not accounted for. The new Prime Minister will surely have his hands full as there is definitely more cleaning up to do. In his 2015/2016 audit report, the Auditor General had pointed out that Rwf 12.6 billion had not been properly accounted for. Those are serious discoveries that need urgent attention. For a country that has zero tolerance to any type of corruption and counts good governance among its strong points, by now it should have gotten to the bottom of the Rwf 12 billion mystery. Many times, the Auditor General’s Office has expressed frustration that many of its recommendations are never implemented, and if they happen to do so, are accompanied by half measures. This is the kind of waste that the country cannot afford. While all the suspects are still innocent until found guilty – and many are still in the early stages of investigations – there is need to move with haste when dealing with financial matters. This is one area that needs some sprucing up otherwise evidence might disappear because of delays in investigations and prosecution. Perhaps it is time the government mulled giving the Auditor General’s Office more responsibilities and powers, such as giving it the right to prosecute. Government oversight comes with heavy responsibilities but it is necessary in order to prevent officials overstepping their marks and help avoid wasteful spending. Whatever the outcomes of the current investigations, at the end of the day, being called to account keeps leaders on their toes as there should be no sacred cow, whatever their positions.

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Editorial: Rwanda cannot afford wasteful spending