BUJUMBURA April 11th (ABP) – The first Deputy President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Gaston Sindimwo, who was on Tuesday April 10, 2018 at Kigobe Chamber to present to parliamentarians the achievements of the eight Ministries under his supervision in the second half of 2017, assigned to those Ministries an average of 88.44%, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
Mr. Sindimwo said the activities of the Ministry of the Interior and Patriotic Education have been organized around seven goals. These include the strengthening of political and administrative governance, the mastery of demography, the implementation of the Education and Patriotic Education Program (PEFP), and that of national strategies for the reintegration of returnees and displaced persons, and the protection of refugees and Stateless persons, as well as monitoring the activities of non-profit organizations, religious denominations and NGOs.
Two important activities are to be highlighted, namely the recovery by the communes of 20 State-built markets that were in the hands of the private sector, which has generated significant funds for the commune, and the moralization of society with the fight against couples living under common-law marriages, living outside from the law on civil status. A rating of 92.8% was assigned to that Ministry. At the Ministry of Public Security, eight objectives were targeted. There is the strengthening of good governance, the fight against crime and terrorism, the welfare of the police, the fight against corruption, the capacity building of the statistical system of the Ministry of Public Security, the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), and participation in the protection of the environment through reforestation. In the case of the construction of the police hospital, the feasibility studies have already ended. A rating of 99.29% was assigned to that Ministry.
For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the central administration continued the so-called routine activities. There was also the strengthening of cooperation and diplomatic communication, as well as the consolidation of the partnership with the Burundian diaspora. A rating of 81.81% has been granted to that Ministry.
For the Ministry at the Presidency in charge of EAC Affairs, sensitization sessions to strengthen the active participation of all stakeholders in the regional integration process have been organized. That Ministry has also been involved in strengthening the system and structures of internal governance, coordination, planning, and monitoring and evaluation. That Ministry received a rating of 86.78%. The Ministry at the Presidency in charge of Good Governance and the Plan set itself the objectives of strengthening governance in the public administration; continue the fight against corruption, fraud and economic embezzlement; and to control the management of public and parastatal services. In the field of planning, the first draft of the national development plan was sent to the national steering committee, while in the field of statistics, survey reports were produced. In the field of investments, the investor guide has been produced and disseminated. That Ministry received a rating of 100%.
A rating of 74.70% was assigned to the Ministry of Justice, of which four general objectives were retained. This is to strengthen good governance, streamline judicial activity, improve the supply and demand of justice, and develop a criminal policy respectful of human rights.
For the Ministry of National Defense and Veterans Affairs, there are seven areas in the 2016-2020 strategic plan for that Ministry. The aim is to provide and update the legal and institutional framework of the Burundi national defense force (FDNB), to promote and reinforce cohesion within the FDNB, to build the operational capacities of the FDNB, to optimize the management of resources, to develop a culture of planning and peacekeeping, improving social security benefits, and promoting gender mainstreaming and taking into account the specific needs of the FDNB members. The Ministry received a rating of 90.85%. The Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Employment has a rating of 97.55%. Three axes have been selected. There is the reform of public administration, the field of work and employment, crafts education and vocational training. According to the first Deputy President of the Republic of Burundi, the achievements by the Ministries under his supervision are generally satisfactory.
To the question from Members of Parliament and Senators who wanted to know the criteria for those Ministries to be rated as such, Mr. Sindimwo said that there is a department at the first vice-presidency which is responsible for controlling and attributing rates to those ministries. This service refers to the annual action plans that the Ministries have set themselves and analyzes how they were done, he said.
