BUJUMBURA, November 9th (ABP) – The Observatory for the Fight against Corruption and Economic Embezzlement (OLUCOME), organized, on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, a press briefing to comment on the conclusions of various reports on the economic governance, and on public expenditure allocated to yearly budgets.
OLUCOME was based, according to its chairman Gabriel Rufyiri, on the expert report drawn up and managed by the Ministry of Finance with regard to Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability in Burundi in Burundi (PEFA), a report which covers the previous three budget years.
OLUCOME was also inspired by the report drawn up by experts from the International Monetary Fund visiting Burundi, without forgetting the content of the oral questions addressed to the Minister in charge of Finance, in relation to the use of the annual budget.
Mr. Rufyiri appreciated that there were signs of hope for a possible economic recovery in Burundi. Citing the political commitment of the President of the Republic, who has made corruption his hobby horse and who is taking measures to ensure economic recovery. The other sign, according to him, are the reports which guide the government to make good decisions and the fact that the government has accepted that those missions can take place. Mr. Rufyiri pointed out the other hope, the vision of the Head of State: “Burundi, a country emerging in 2040 and developed in 2060”.
For him, there are prerequisites for this economic recovery to be a reality. He first mentions the assurance of political stability of the country, in the very long term. Secondly, Mr. Rufyiri congratulated the government for having adopted a budget-program, “citizen budget”, one of the pillars to achieve the government’s vision. But he asked that the population be put at the center to be consulted on their real needs.
In that regard, he called for good planning, from the definition of indicators, the implementation of the budget and the evaluation of good execution. He noted that considerable efforts must be made in that area since qualified and competent personnel are few in number. Even the most competent are redeployed each time, administrative stability is essential.
Mr. Diomède Ninteretse, expert in Leadership and Management of Organizations, guest in the press café to provide his analysis of the various reports, suggests eradicating corruption and large-scale fraud.
He praised the commitment of the President of the Republic who has set the objective of eradicating corruption. He called on him to put in place an adequate strategy that gives more strength to regulators in the area of combating economic embezzlement, by providing them with financial resources and the necessary training.
Mr. Niteretse also proposed the establishment of an effective national integrity system, easy to design and implement. The two speakers also insisted on transparency and traceability in all processes, from the design and evaluation of the proper use of the budget, keeping in mind that all those responsible for the execution chain are required to respect the principle of accountability to Burundians.