The government is implementing strategic measures to cut the cost of office rentals for public institutions which currently total Rwf12 billion every year. By the end of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) in 2029, the government will have constructed office complexes in the Kimihurura area, spanning from the current premises of Office of the Ombudsman to the former premises of the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), according to the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA). ALSO READ: How much does govt spend on renting public offices? “To alleviate the financial strain caused by high office rental costs, the government plans to construct its own office buildings to house institutions such as the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG), the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Identification Agency (NIDA) as well as non-government entities like UN agencies and embassies,” Alphonse Rukaburandekwe, the RHA Director General, told The New Times on Friday, January 17. Rukaburandekwe said this following concerns raised by the Parliamentary Committee on Governance and Gender Affairs about the outdated state of the Office of the Ombudsman building and the exorbitant rental costs the government incurs annually. The committee had recommended that the project commence as soon as possible to reduce expenses and save money in the long term. Rukaburandekwe assured that 90,000 square meters of land have been secured for the project, and there will be no expropriation issues as all the land is government-owned. He further confirmed that by 2029 all major government entities, particularly those based in Kigali will have new offices. “Together with other government institutions, we are already in discussions with potential contractors and investors interested in carrying out this project,” Rukaburandekwe said. “This is a large-scale initiative that will require careful evaluation of the national budget and we may consider public-private partnership (PPP) models or other viable options. We are currently assessing the feasibility of this major project and once we finalize all the necessary modalities, the project will commence to meet our 2029 deadline,” he said. ALSO READ: How public-private partnership is giving Africa a new look Rukaburandekwe emphasized that the new office complexes would reduce rental costs by 80% for institutions currently relying on the government budget. He also stated that upon completion of the office complexes, the government intends to redirect the funds previously spent on rent toward other priority areas. This strategic approach is designed to optimize the use of financial resources and deliver long-term benefits for the government and its institutions, he added.