Uzziel Ndagijimana, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning
The Minister was on Tuesday of Finance and Economic Planning was this Tuesday summoned before the parliament to explain the source of gaps in financing the mutuelle program and claims of pending arrears of health insurance payments for districts.
The gaps were mainly registered before transfer of the mutuelle program to Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) in 2015.
A parliament report has shown that districts hospitals, pharmacies and health centers had not received payment for health services rendered under mutuelle insurance scheme, and lawmakers wanted to know how much and when will this issue be cleared.
The minister said the mutuelle arrears by 30th June 2015 stood at Rwf13.5billion.
He explained that all pending payments were wired to the ministry of health account but a transfer error was done while moving the money from the health ministry to accounts of referral and district hospitals. As a result, there was a mismatch in reimbursement.
“This error was discovered and immediately resolved where Rwf4.6billion was recalled back so as to pay hospitals and health centers which had received less or no payments. Today all this money has been repaid through the districts,” the Minister said.
“I am certain all the arrears before June 2015 have been paid by the ministry of finance,” Ndagijimana said.
The minister further said that reimbursement is now going well; the government disbursed Rwf 4.5 billion between June 2016 and February 2020.
However in following up how the retransfers were done he said that they found 10 districts that had not sent the remaining funds (2%) meant for health centers.
These include districts of Huye, Nyamagabe, Gisagara, Kamonyi, Nyanza, Nyaruguru, Ruhango, Nyamaseke, Nyarugenge and Gicumbi with a total Rwf 108.2 million.
“We have asked these districts to transfer this money immediately,” Ndagijimana said, adding that they are working with districts and hospitals to reconcile old paid receipts which appear as unpaid bills as a result of lack of accounting problems between districts and hospitals.
