The Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies has resolved to summon the Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, in order to explain the progress on paying outstanding expropriation compensations to affected citizens countrywide. The lawmakers made the resolution on Thursday, February 13, 2020 when the plenary was receiving a report on a countrywide tour aimed to assess the state of infrastructure. Expropriation is done by the State in order to pave the way for public interest projects such as roads, energy projects and other public infrastructure projects. There are citizens who have not been compensated since their expropriation in 2013. We why compensation has taken that long,” MP Edda Mukabagwiza, the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, said. The Minister of Finance is also expected to provide a clear roadmap to completely clear arrears that the Community Health Insurance Scheme – Mutuelle de Santé –owes to hospitals and health centres. While providing its assessment of the 2018/2019 activity report of the Office of the Ombudsman, last week, the Senatorial Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Good Governance said that by the end of 2019, the government owed at least Rwf17 billion to 19,477 people, which stems from expropriation arrears. The Committee demanded that the arrears be paid within the shortest possible. Its demand, the Senators said, is intended to comply with the fundamental principle of building a state governed by the rule of law by ensuring effective and timely enforcement of legislations. entirenganya@newtimesrwanda.com
