Both chambers of parliament separately started virtual extraordinary sessions on Wednesday, April 28. While launching the extraordinary sessions, Senate President, Augustin Iyamuremye, and Speaker, Mukabalisa Donatille, said they expect the Auditor General to present his report for the financial year ending June 30, 2020. Among the issues on top of the agenda include the presentation of the budget framework papers for the 2021/2022 fiscal year by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. This is an addition to other priorities provided for by the law, which would not wait for the ordinary sessions. The MPs are also expected to discuss reports by the parliamentary standing committees, including the ones from the Committee on Economy and Trade, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Committee on Social Affairs, as well as the Committee on National Budget and Patrimony. Mukabalisa indicated that the extraordinary session will conclude once those activities on the agenda are accomplished. Meanwhile, during the kick-off of the Senatorial ordinary session, senate’s plenary sitting approved the appointment of judiciary officials namely Aimé Muyoboke Kalimunda, who was named a judge in the Supreme Court, François-Régis Rukundakuvuga, President of the Court of Appeal, and Clotilde Mukamurera, President of the Commercial High Court. Senator Dushimimana Lambert, Chairperson of the Senatorial Committee on Political Affairs and Governance which examined the appointment files of the said judiciary officials indicated that it realised that they have judicial expertise and experience as well as qualifications that make them fit for the job. The plenary sitting of the Chamber of Deputies voted two laws including that amending law no 22/2018 of 29/04/2018 relating to the civil, commercial, labour and administrative procedure, which includes provisions such as electronic property auction, and the law approving the ratification of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) that was signed by Rwanda and Qatar in Doha on Monday, February 8, 2021. Today, PAC will present to the plenary sitting of the Chamber of Deputies its assessment reports including that on operations and management of Community Processing Centres (CPCs), Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA)’s road infrastructure projects, as well as an ICT audit that was carried out on IPPIS. IPPIS or Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System is an online system managed by the ministry of infrastructure intended to support the government in the efficient and cost-effective management of public servants. As provided for by the Constitution and the organic law governing Parliamentary procedures, the Parliament is supposed to hold three ordinary sessions. The first starts on February 5 and concludes on April 4; the second from June 5 to August 4, while the third is from October 5 to December 4.
