SUMMARY REPORT OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF JANUARY 12, 2022

In the year two thousand and twenty-two, on the twelfth day of January, senators met in the Senate hemicycle for the 69^th plenary session of the sixth legislature relating to an oral question with debate addressed to the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender.

The session was chaired by the Senate Speaker, Right Honourable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA. It began, as usual, with a prayer at 11:21 a.m. and was attended by 38 Senators and a representative of the Government, the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, Mrs. Imelde SABUSHIMIKE.

Opening the session, the Senate Speaker first welcomed all the senators. Then, he invited the Minister to give clarifications on questions put to her.

Concerning the granting of the Medical Assistance Card (CAM) intended for vulnerable groups, in particular street children and women, and older people, she indicated that it would be better for the card to be paid by the State and its partners.

With regard to the granting of certificates of poverty indigence and the methods used when obtaining those certificates, the Minister therefore specified that the granting of those certificates of poverty indigence is the responsibility of the local administration and specifically communal administrators.

However, with phase II of the “MERANKABANDI” project, the ministry intends to set up the Single Social Register (RSU) which will serve as a database for all users of social programs.

In addition, with the RSUwhich will require regular updating of the data, we will no longer be satisfied with those certificates of poverty indigence which are sometimes biased but rather with the data contained in that RSU.

With regard to the harmonization of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and the National Office for Pensions and Occupational Risks (ONPR), which have almost the same missions but which  methods of calculating contributions and benefits differ, she said that after consultation and comparison between the INSS and the ONPR, and in accordance with the Social Protection Code, it was agreed that the ONPR will align itself with the INSS calculation method; both institutions will now use the percentage mode. Further, she added that harmonization is provided for in the social protection code which was promulgated on 12/5/2020. In addition, she indicated that article 134 of the same code deals with the method of calculating contributions which will be based on the gross salary.

As for the members of the Public Service Mutual society and especially the civil servants of the State who are dissatisfied with the purchase of the drugs, those medicines being most of the time not found in the pharmacies of the Public Service Mutual society, or in those which collaborate with the latter, the Minister pointed out that the Public Service Mutual Society (MFP) was created by Decree-Law No. 1/28 of June 27, 1980 establishing the health and maternity insurance scheme for Public and Assimilated Agents. Currently, it is governed by Law No. 1/05 of 10/9/2002 on the Reform of the Health and Maternity Insurance Scheme for Public and Assimilated Agents. She also showed that Law No. 1/12 of May 12, 2020 promulgating the Burundi Social Protection Code provides for the extension of basic health insurance to other sectors.

She added that the pharmacies of the Public Service Mutual insurance society were created in 1989, with the aim of regulating the cost of the drug reimbursable by the Public Service Mutual insurance society and contributing to the financial balance of the Mutual. That was a response to the Government’s recommendation that the MFP contribute to lowering and stabilizing drug prices through a series of actions to be undertaken, including the creation of mutualist pharmacies. In addition, it has been observed that some partner pharmacies that collaborate with the MFP refuse to dispense some drugs on Mutual insurance vouchers. If they are caught, the Partnership Agreement is broken.

In relation to what the Ministry intends to do to eradicate the phenomenon of street children and what the same Ministry plans to do to prevent child labour, especially in households and in small itinerant trade, the minister said that the phenomenon appeared much more with the crisis of 1993. In addition, many initiatives such as the implementation of a strategy for the prevention and eradication of the phenomenon of street children in 2014 were taken.

The campaign carried out in 2018 enabled the Ministry to remove more than 4,000 street children and 1,400 adults from the streets and the problem was always to keep them within their families. It remains essential that the administration, the police, the judiciary, the Ministry of Social Affairs and other partners in the post-reintegration monitoring activities combine or double their efforts for effective success.

With regard to child domestic work and itinerant trade, the minister specified that the great responsibility rests with the Ministry in charge of labour insofar as the law authorizes the work of children from the age of 15, without forgetting however that there are worst forms of child labour which are in no way permitted for persons under 18 years of age. It is clear that child domestics or those who do itinerant trade come from rural disadvantaged families.

In addition, among the various initiatives taken to mobilize the population against poverty, the only common solution remains the massive participation in the “SANGWE” cooperatives as well as in other groups which can bring the capacity of families to productivity to another level. School canteens and free education measures will also have to be maintained. However, the time has come to make all household employers aware of not making children work and also to think about the social protection of all those domestic workers.

Regarding the state of respect for human rights in Burundi in general and particularly the respect for the rights of vulnerable categories such as children, women and the elderly, she insisted that women’s rights are not respected as it should be. They are victims of gender-based violence, especially domestic violence.

With regard to the solutions recommended by the Ministry to reduce or even eradicate that violence, which, most of the time, constitutes a source of children with unknown fathers or fathers who do not recognize paternity, the Minister suggested that there be the capacity building for community leaders (Imboneza) to fully play their role as well as the strengthening of the economic power of the population to reduce their vulnerability of women to Gender-Based Violence, the fight against factors favouring Gender-Based Violence such as free unions, prohibited drinks, smoking, etc.

In connection with what the Ministry recommends to do to implement another project which will validly replace the MERANKABANDI social safety net support project as it will soon come to an end, the minister indicated that the Ministry’s assessment of its implementation is very satisfactory, given the impacts which that project has already had on the lives of beneficiary households, the quality of management of that project and the disbursement rate achieved. In addition, according to several evaluations carried out throughout the implementation of the MERANKABANDI project, it has greatly improved the living conditions of 56,000 households (about 300,000 people) because they have been supported to increase the cash transfers they have received.

She further added that as regards the quality of implementation, the project was regularly evaluated with satisfaction and the disbursement rate was also deemed satisfactory (physical execution rate estimated at 93% and the financial execution rate is at 84.50%, eight months before the end of the project). She also said that the project even won a World Bank Award of Excellence as one of 16 projects in Africa that have made a positive impact on the population.

As for the projection that the Ministry intends to do to improve the living conditions of those most vulnerable groups if such donations occur, she therefore specified that if such donations still occur, the Ministry will profile the lessons learned from that project pilot to effectively and sustainably improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups.

To the question to know why within the ministry no department is created to deal with violence against men and all departments focus on the well-being of women, the Minister clarified that if we talk about Gender, the man is included. Those Departments focus on issues based on violence against women because it is women who are much more vulnerable than men. She added that even if there are cases of violence against men, they do not dare to expose their problems and eradicating violence against women remains a major project.

Because of the accompanying measures taken for the closed Orphanage centers, she, the Minister, pointed out that the children who were in those centers have been transferred to other centers which meet the necessary conditions to accommodate them.

As for the people who should benefit from the advantages of the ONPR but in vain, she indicated that there was a census recently carried out so that those people could regain their rights.

The Honorable Senators expressed their concern about certain categories of people who do not have land.

The Minister in charge of National Solidarity indicated that she remains alerted by such situations and said that the neediest are given priority rather than thinking of those of her ethnic group. I am at the service of the nation as other ministers, not at the service of my ethnic group, she said.

As for children who grow up in Orphanage centers and do not return to their homes, she justified that the State is looking for group centers to develop projects for them.

Regarding the choice of “MAMANS MUCO”, the Minister affirms that the choice is made taking into account the social behavior that they display in their communities. As for the hospitals that are victims of the late payment of the health care costs of the indigent, the Minister reassured everyone that she speaks daily to the Ministry in charge of Finance so that all those debts could be paid.

In relation to the shortcomings that appear at the INSS, she pointed out that a team has been set up to investigate what is really going on there.

To the question to know where the remainders of the INSS go each year, the Minister said that those remainders go to Burundi Republic Bank (BRB) and they will then be used in the construction of various buildings of the Civil Service Mutual Benefit Society (MFP).

With regard to the indigents who previously were under the responsibility of the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, but who today receive more daily support, she pointed out that they had to stop temporarily to detect cases of cheating.

On the question of children who were born to unknown fathers and who today do not have the chance to benefit from certain rights, the Minister said that there is a strategy that has been put in place to support the latter even though it is not yet operational.

As for people who rape children and who are in no time released whereas they were caught, she pointed out that the Ministry of Justice will have to take all necessary measures to eradicate that bad behavior.

When asked if the health insurance card could be used at the MFP, the Minister said that if possible, the Ministry could submit that wish to the Ministry having public health in its attributions. 

In relation to the change of name for street children, she guaranteed that research will be carried out for that purpose. 

As for people of adult age who are not supported by their children, the people representatives recommended that there must be a law to banish that bad behavior. 

As for hospitals that do not have pharmacies of the MFP, the Minister replied that in an action plan of her Ministry, she intends to build pharmacies. 

Regarding returnees who are not currently supported by the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, she clarified that there are activities that are currently under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security.

For people who use the health insurance card in different health centers but who at some point do not find medicines there, she promised the people representatives to submit that concern to the Ministry of Public Health.

The session, which took place in a climate of understanding, ended at 3:23 p.m. with a prayer.