Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) is the first public institution to appear before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) explaining its expenditures and financial management-related issues as listed in the 2021 Auditor General's report. This is the first of the 85 institutions that have been summoned to explain some discrepancies reported by the Auditor General. RSSB team was led by the board's CEO Regis Rugemanshuro who highlighted changes being done to ensure financial efficiency. Among the changes include the recent decision to make the board autonomous and having a new leadership that turned it around which has significantly plugged the loopholes that led to losses in the previous years. This was welcomed by the legislators on the committee who applauded the development and encouraged the team to ensure effective financial reporting. The vice chairperson of RSSB Board of directors, Marcel Mukeshimana also told PAC that “to ensure an effective transition to the new way of working, the board of directors has been split into six committees with each committee having specific tasks to ensure proper financial management.” There were issues that the new management inherited, among them including phase two of the Batsinda housing project which was supposed to be for affordable housing but was later revised to middle-cost housing. The project was supposed to have started in 2016 but so far has gone only to 35 per cent. According to Rugemanshuro, “the affordable housing project was relocated to Rusororo and Gasogi where studies have been conducted while relocating it from Batsinda came as advice from the government considering the cost the project stood at.” PAC chair, Valens Muhakwa, advised RSSB to report back with a roadmap of when the project will be completed and report back to PAC.
