Rwanda will host the 12th Commonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa next month. The conference is set to take place in Kigali from May 3-7, 2022. It will come up with strategies to tackle corruption and ensure good and accountable governance. Its general objective is to bring together members of the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, relevant international organisations, and partners to share and learn lessons for the fight against corruption under the theme “Combating Corruption for Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa.” Among other issues, it will discuss the impact of corruption on sustainable development in Africa and approaches to combat this vice that derails development. Some specific expected outcomes of the conference shall be, among others, the adoption of innovative strategies towards corruption control, best practices from member countries and experts for achieving SDG 16, which incorporates specific targets relating to curbing corruption, bribery, and illicit financial flows. It is expected that 150 delegates will participate in the conference. The New Times’ Emmanuel Ntirenganya had an interview with Rwanda’s Ombudsman, Madeleine Nirere about the implications of the conference, Rwanda’s performance in tackling corruption, and what the country has to share with the delegates in this regard. Excerpts: What does it mean for Rwanda to host such a conference? In line with Rwanda’s anti-corruption vision, it is a country that has good records in combating graft both on regional, continental, and global levels. Rwanda ranks 4th in Africa and the first country in the East African Community in combating corruption, and this was thanks to the country’s zero-tolerance to corruption policy. Hosting this conference is another major step for Rwanda’s international relations. It will be an opportunity [for other countries] to learn from Rwandas experience, but, we will also learn from others because each country has set anti-corruption strategies. This will reaffirm Rwanda’s good commitment to always look for every means possible that can be used to reinforce its zero tolerance to corruption policy. It will be an occasion to take stock of the progress so far made in line with stemming corruption, but also devise strategies on how to address the remaining challenges in this regard. Moreover, it will benefit the country’s economy as delegates will stay in hotels, or buy some products here; including made in Rwanda products, and enhance Rwanda’s visibility in the world. Rwanda will also chair the conference for two years until 2024. This is an opportunity for Rwanda because its leadership will positively influence it. Rwanda will likely benefit by setting the agenda and ensuring the implementation of the collectively adopted anti-corruption strategies. What is Rwanda’s commitment to tackling graft, and how is the country working towards its attainment? Rwanda’s vision 2050, especially its fifth pillar, states that Rwanda should further prioritise good governance, transparency and accountability, which includes fighting corruption which is critical to the achievement of good governance. There is also the zero tolerance to corruption policy of 2012 which provides that Rwanda should establish firm entities to fight corruption and other necessary mechanisms meant to ensure that citizens get quality service. Under the first phase of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) covering the 2017-2024 period, the level of fighting corruption in Rwanda will rise to 92.5 per cent in 2024 from 86.5 per cent in 2016, based on the survey by Rwanda Governance Board (RGB). Also, Rwanda has a target to implement SDG 16 which provides that fighting corruption should be a priority. By 2050, Rwanda expects to rank the first country in the world in stamping out corruption. To achieve that ambition, there are strategies including hosting various conferences, discussing the existing measures, but also learning from practices from other countries which have great performance. Also, we will have an occasion to interact with the country that was the first to have the Office of the Ombudsman – Sweden. We will share experience on how the Office of the Ombudsman was established and how it works. What best anti-corruption practices will Rwanda share with conference participants? Rwanda put in place many strategies meant to combat corruption. The fact that the law of 2018 on fighting against corruption made it an imprescriptible offence [that cannot be taken away by prescription or lapse of time], it is one of the actions that deter the offering, promise or receipt of corruption. Among other changes brought about by the law, it made some ordinary offences in the previous legislation corruption crimes. One of them is illicit enrichment. Currently, any person who cannot justify the source of his or her assets compared with his or her lawful income commits a corruption crime. We will share with them [participants] our experience in combating graft, especially the implementation of Rwanda’s Zero Tolerance to Corruption” policy. There are a lot of strategies developed in line with anti-corruption actions, including the establishment of anti-corruption committees in public, private, and civil society entities in a bid to fight graft amongst them. These are intended to help detect corruption loopholes early so that they are prevented. Also, there is progress made in the recovery of embezzled or misappropriated public assets. For instance, in the fiscal year 2020-2021, over Rwf1.6 billion of public funds were recovered in line with court decision enforcement. However, more needs to be done in the public asset recovery by tackling challenges including the convicts who hide their possessions for instance by registering them in other people’s names. Indeed, from 2014 to August 2021, funds amounting to more than Rwf6 billion were embezzled. Again, the aforementioned meeting will strengthen the cooperation on the enforcement of asset recovery and return of stolen assets among the Commonwealth member states. Adoption of online service delivery has proven to be a contributor to addressing the corruption problem because it reduces contact between the physical service seeker and provider which would be a loophole for corruption. For instance, in public procurement, a bidder does not have to meet the public tender officer, rather they enter their bids into the e-procurement system, and the winning bidder is picked. Also, with online auction, prices are entered into the online system, allowing all interested entities in Rwanda or abroad to bid with equal treatment. This move has helped solve the problem where corrupt people would conspire by even devaluing the property put up for sale. Online services have also contributed to expediting service delivery as currently; people no longer have to queue at sector offices to seek construction permits, which reduces corruption loopholes. Service delivery has been implicated in various reports as one of factors contributing to corruption. Why is this so? Quick and quality service delivery is a major contributor to combating corruption. Poor service delivery is a loophole for corruption. Malpractices such as charging a service that is normally free, or denying one the benefits they are entitled to by the law, or their right lead to corruption. The delays in service delivery might make a service seeker think that they have to pay something such as a bribe to the provider in order to enable the process. Rwanda still has to make more efforts in the service delivery indicator as it is at 71.4 per cent according to the survey conducted by RGB. We will consider how other countries are performing in order to further improve service delivery.
