Parliament establishes Public Accounts Committee

KIGALI - Members of Parliament yesterday elected lawmaker, Juvenal Nkusi, as chairperson of the newly established Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and reduced the number of Standing Committees from 11 to nine. The creation of PAC follows the amendment of the organic law establishing internal rules of the Chamber of Deputies, which specifies that committees remain operational. “This is a new committee that requires extra efforts. I expect full support from the entire parliament,” Nkusi said, as he drummed up support to head the new committee. Nkusi who stood unchallenged, received a loud and prolonged applause. “Initially, I headed the Standing Committee in charge of Economy and Trade, now that the economy of the nation has grown, I need to see its accountability and transparency realised as well,” he added. Parliament also elected Evode Kalima as Nkusi’s deputy. Nkusi, the longest serving Member of Parliament, was the first Speaker of the transitional parliament that was installed in 1994 and has since remained a lawmaker. The establishment of PAC will partly lead to reducing some of the workload earlier performed by the Committee on Budget and National Patrimony. PAC will be charged with examining and investigating financial misconduct within public institutions, and report cases of misuse of public funds to the plenary to decide on punitive measures. Part of Nkusi’s responsibilities will be to analyse the Auditor General’s reports. Meanwhile, the Parliament also elected heads of the eight committees. Alfred Gasana, will now head the committee on Political Affairs and Gender Equality, while MP Juliana Kantengwa will head the Economy and Trade committee. Agnes Mukazibera and Gedeon Kainamura were elected to chair the committees on Science, Education, Youth and Culture, and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation respectively. The Committee on Social Affairs will now be headed by Esperance Mwiza while MP Everiste Kalisa retained his post as the chairperson of the Committee on Unity, Human Rights and fight against Genocide. Others elected were Constance Mukayuhi, who will head the Budget Committee and Adolph Bazatoha will be in charge of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment. Ends