The hearings, scheduled to run until July 10, form part of Parliament’s oversight role aimed at promoting accountability and ensuring the prudent management of public resources.

According to a communiqué issued by the Chamber of Deputies on June 24, the institutions were selected based on specific risk indicators highlighted in the Auditor General’s report.

The criteria include entities that received adverse audit opinions in financial, compliance or value-for-money audits, as well as those that were issued qualified opinions in value-for-money performance audits.

Other institutions were selected due to their poor implementation of recommendations previously issued by the Auditor General. These include entities that implemented less than 80 percent of the recommendations, particularly where unresolved issues were deemed significant.

The hearings will also cover entities that were subject to comprehensive performance audits, special audits or information technology system audits.
PAC Chairperson Valens Muhakwa said the objective of the hearings goes beyond identifying shortcomings and seeks to strengthen accountability and improve public sector performance.

“Our primary objective is to ensure that every public penny is utilised for its intended purpose, expended in a timely manner, and managed without wastage,” Muhakwa said.

“Public hearings are not solely intended to point out mistakes; they also provide an opportunity for public institutions to show corrective measures they intend to undertake to address identified deficiencies and enhance performance, towards promoting the efficient management of public resources for the benefit of Rwandans,” he added.

The annual public hearings are a key mechanism through which Parliament examines the management of public funds and follows up on findings raised by the Auditor General. They also provide an opportunity for government institutions to report on measures taken to address weaknesses identified in previous audits.

The upcoming hearings are expected to focus on accountability, implementation of audit recommendations and efforts by institutions to improve financial management and service delivery.