President Paul Kagame speaks during the 14th edition of the
Umushyikirano -Rwanda's national dialogue, on December 15, 2016 in
Kigali. PHOTO | URUGWIRO
By Edmund Kagire
In Summary
President Kagame has proposed that a deadline be set beyond which the country will stop relying on donor funding.
Currently, Rwanda finances up to 66 per cent of its budget, with lenders and donors taking up the remaining 34 per cent.
At the opening of the two-day national dialogue on Thursday,
President Kagame said that “the issue of relying on others to pay for
things that benefit us” should be stopped.
He was addressing over 2,000 participants, including members of the diplomatic community.
“It is better to face things the hard way and go straight to the
heart of any problem,” he said, adding that it is not dignifying to
depend on others to finance your dignity.
“Therefore, among the decisions of this Umushyikirano
(national dialogue), we should resolve to set a deadline, which should
come sooner rather than later, after which Rwanda will no longer be
waiting for what others hand out to us.”
In late 2012 to mid-2013, Rwanda's economic growth suffered
disruptions after donors cut aid on grounds that Kigali was supporting
rebels in eastern DR Congo. The funding was later restored.
The president, who is currently leading reforms to make the
African Union (AU) self-reliant, is a strong opponent of development
aid, even though Rwanda’s reconstruction after the 1994 genocide has
heavily been funded by donors.
President Kagame proposes a model where aid beneficiaries are allowed to contribute to the development process.
“We are at a point in our development where we can get this done if we really put our minds to the task,” President Kagame said.
Now in its 14th edition, the Umushyikirano has been
praised as one of Rwanda’s successful homegrown initiatives that brings
leaders and citizens together to tackle the country’s challenges in an
open and transparent manner.
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