By David Himbara
Pension funds play two major roles – they support individual pensioners who contributed to the funds and finance vital national development projects.
Crucially, pension funds are managed with outermost transparency because they are public assets.
In the case of Rwanda, General Paul Kagame has long captured the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), the national pension body.
Companies of his ruling party, such as Inyange Industries, East African Granite Industries, and Crystal Telecom were established using RSSB pension money.
This explains Kagame’s reluctance to render RSSB transparent despite considerable external pressure.
The January 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report indicates the delaying tactics of making RSSB transparent.
The report says that “the selection of an advisory firm to conduct a review of Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB)’s asset allocation (end-June 2021 RT) has yet to take place…
As a result, the review of RSSB asset allocation, which was expected to be conducted before the end of the year (end-December 2021 RT), has been delayed to end-June 2022.”
Will Kagame ever allow RSSB to become transparent?
Stay tuned.
