BUJUMBURA, October 5th (ABP) – The Prime Minister, Mr. Gervais Ndirakobuca, provided clarifications to questions from both Houses of Parliament, following the presentation of the Implementation Report of the government’s Annual Action Plan for the second half of the 2022/2023 budget year.
On that occasion, the Prime Minister answered several questions from MPs. Regarding the number of taxpayers who pay for VAT by telepayment, Mr. Ndirakobuca said that until September 25, 2023, 2,778 taxpayers were connected to the OBR system (Electronic Billing Management System – eBMS).
Compared to the added value of the amount of VAT collected over the 2022/2023 budget year compared with that collected during the 2021/2022 financial year, the Prime Minister responded that the gross VAT collected in the eBMS system is 126,004,709,542 BIF. He also informed that the impact of that electronic payment is obvious. Thus, some 18,590,000,000 BIF of VAT was collected with electronic payment in September of the 2023/2024 financial year compared to some 14,973,000,000 BIF collected without electronic payment during the same month, financial year 2022/2023.
According to the Prime Minister, during that 2023/2024 financial year, it is planned to distribute 5,000 electronic machines to all large, medium and certain small taxpayers with a significant volume of activities. The year 2025 is set as the deadline, when the use of the electronic machine will be effective for all taxpayers.
The MPs also wanted to know why the report shows that the inventory and sale of rolling stock not used by the State was carried out at a rate of 100% while there is still used rolling stock parked in different ministries and decentralized services. In that regard, he responded that the inventory action was 100% carried out by the department in charge of State heritage. However, at the level of the auction, it happens that the latter is not 100% successful, so that it is obliged to relaunch the auction notices,” he explained.
According to figures updated in September 2023 and contained in that report, a total of 121 vehicles, 32 motorcycles in 2022 and 256 vehicles, 50 motorcycles in 2023 were sold, for a total amount of 1,152,477,518 BIF.
Compared to the results gathered in 40 districts which underwent a control of their administrative and financial management, Prime Minister Ndirakobuca indicated that “the financial audit revealed enormous financial and accounting irregularities; irregularities in the processes of awarding and implementing public contracts. While incomplete and anarchic management was noted; construction materials provided to districts by the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi, combined with those purchased by the districts’ own budget.
Recommendations were suggested for strict compliance with procedures and regular keeping of notebooks and stock records, Mr. Ndirakobuca said.
At the level of the Ministry of Education, the Prime Minister was asked to verify the accuracy of the figures reported by that ministry, on the scholarships awarded per province. A total of 302 scholarships were awarded in all 18 provinces of the country, during the 2022/2023 financial year. The City Council with 24 grantees and Gitega with 23 grantees are the provinces with many grantees. Ruyigi with 12 scholarship holders, Mwaro and Muramvya 13 scholarship holders each, are the provinces which have a minimum number.