Mayor Erasme Ntazinda of Nyanza(L) and the Director General of Nyanza Hospital at PAC yesterday
The parliament Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sought skills and capacity building for Nyanza district staff after the district showed gross shortcomings in implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations in two consecutive financial years.
PAC members showed this September 19, 2022, that the district had a lower performance (20%) in the previous financial year and deteriorated further in the financial year under audit (2020-21).
Members of parliament highlighted faults in the Nyanza district hospital compliance audit report which noted that the hospital purchased medical supplies amounting to Rwf6.6million from Medisell Rwanda Ltd without following competitive bidding methods of soliciting at least three bidders.
District officials said this was out of an urgency.
“It was an issue of emergency. We seek forgiveness this shouldn’t have happened at all,” Zacharie Twagiramungu, Director of Administration and Finance said even though he didn’t convince PAC.
The district hospital was also pinned over failing to stick to its procurement plan where it offered unplanned tender at the peak of COVID-19 and failing to deliver four planned ones- amounting to Rwf51.3 million.
MP Germaine Mukabarisa (Middle) making her point
Twagiramungu explained that some of the tenders were below Rwf200,000 and there was no need but Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA) officials said that they should have informed the agency to get a go-ahead as a matter of procedure.
In addition, the audit noted that the tender for the maintenance of hospital buildings appeared twice in the procurement plan with different values of Rwf19. 9million and Rwf10million.
“If nothing is done you will derail further yet you can get help but you have to start with training and capacity building,” PAC Chairman, MP Valens Muhakwa said.
Nyanza district Mayor, Erasme Ntazinda and the Southern Province Executive Secretary Parfait Busabizwa, and the ministry of local government agreed on the need to train Nyanza staff and build their capacity for improved performance.
