Biruta tasks property valuers to fast track professionalism

Elias Hakizimana May 5, 2019May 5, 2019 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana.

The Minister of Environment Dr Vincent Biruta has called on new members of the board of the Institute of Real Property Valuers (IRPV) to put professionalism at the forefront during the five-year mandate.

He was addressing the members of IRPV and their leaders on May 2, 2019 in Kigali during the handover ceremony of the board of Directors who exchanged leadership after 9 years of its establishment.

He lauds efforts of the outgoing Committee that was headed by Egide Gatsirombo, urging the new committee to try solve current problems based on unprofessionalism and make a significant improvement during their turn.

Among the tasks they were given include land valuation issues and Minister Biruta promised support to achieve that.

**Minister of Environment Dr Vincent Biruta/Courtesy photo.**

“We expect you to deliver good valuation of properties and we know that the land issues still require efforts, we will support you to achieve that. We wish that you leave out the past problems to fast track development of your profession,” Biruta said, adding that whoever among the members of the institute will act in a negative way will be handled by laws.

He recommended Bank Associations, Expropriation officials to use professionalism and transparency in the interests of the public (Clients).

He pledged to help the ongoing committee of the institute to tackle issues in regard with laws during their mandate.

IRPV was incepted in 2010 with 40 members and presently it has over 142 members according to Egide Gatsirombo, the outgoing chairman.

Gatsirombo said that among the current challenges they experience include lack of professional standards, mindset of clients (Property owners) who sometimes question the valuation of their properties, indiscipline, lack of unity among the members of the Institute to implement work, and unwillingness to learn.

The institute mandate was set to be three years but the outgoing board was on duty within around three mandates because elections were postponed too many times, reason why Gatsirombo was still the chairman in about eight years.

**Egide Gatsirombo addressing participants to the handover ceremony/Photo by Jerome Munyentwali**

**Egide Gatsirombo, Dr Vincent Biruta and David Dushimimana during the handover ceremony**

He said one of delay of elections was that laws governing internal elections were not in place.

Gatsirombo said that the law establishing Real Property valuers needs an amendment to tackle professional issues. The Current law No.17/2010 of 12/05/2010 establishing and organizing the real property valuation profession in Rwanda is still operating, involving some academic and professional complaints by some members especially when it comes to registration. In its article 18 regarding conditions for registration, it allows everyone from similar fields apart from graduates from Real property valuation to join as a member.

David Dushimimana, the new elected ongoing Chairman of IRPV said they will continue to improve on current issues including law amendment and changing the mindset of people who deny valuation of their properties.

Dushimimana said that it cannot be easy to change the mindset of some citizens who are not satisfied with valuation prices as everyone wants a certain amount of money. He said it will take a time to have a solution of this through standard price setting.