Prioritise poverty reduction programmes, Kagame urges officials

Rwandan President Paul Kagame urged government officials on Monday to prioritise their programmes aimed at easing high levels of poverty in the country. "We must seek to implement core programmes that are both short and long-term, in order to reduce poverty," he said. He said poverty was a matter of "grave concern" that needed urgent attention and commitment by all government officials. At least half Rwanda's 8.2 million people are affected by poverty. Government statistics indicate that close to 60 percent of the total population live on less than a US $1 day. Kagame's comments, contained in a statement, came at the end of a six-day retreat for his cabinet, heads of provincial administrations and other senior government officials at the Akagera National Park that ended on Saturday. They reviewed the nation's economic and political progress made since the 1994 genocide and set out government goals for the next seven years. They committed themselves to mobilising funds, in the short-term, to support agricultural rural income-generating projects such as coffee and tea processing, maize cultivation, horticulture as well as the crafts industry. Under long-term strategies, they reiterated their commitment to diversify exports, promote tourism, adopt new and comprehensive incentives for foreign and local investors, invest in the energy sector and improve on transparency in government institutions. Moreover, a new health insurance system is to be introduced to provide nationals with cheaper health care. The officials set up a committee to draw up strategies to ensure that expired drugs and food items are not imported into the country. Kagame called for the establishment of a national savings fund that would finance development projects, especially those in rural areas.