Distinguished leaders of our country’s high institutions
Members of the Diplomatic Corps and representatives of International Organisations
Distinguished Guests
Fellow Rwandans
Good afternoon to you all.
I am pleased to be here at Parliament for two important reasons: the
first is to share with all Rwandans, friends of Rwanda and our partners,
where Rwanda stands today. The second is to wish you all a Happy New
Year, as is tradition during this period.
I want to begin by thanking every Rwandan who participated in the
population census that took place this year. This survey enabled us to
determine the number of Rwandans in the country as well as their
socio-economic status.
The census will ensure that government planning and the services are
more in line with Rwanda’s population. Importantly, the results showed
that population growth has decreased from 2.9% in 2002 to 2.6%. This is a
clear indication that efforts to slow down population growth have been
effective and, if we continue along this path, will ensure that our
economy and the wellbeing of Rwandans are not negatively affected.
There is no denying the progress and development our nation continues
to make. Various data show that Rwanda’s economy continues to grow.
As we end the year, our economy is predicted to grow by 7.7% mainly
as a result of good yields in the service and industry sectors, which
increased by 13.5% and 6% respectively in the first three quarters of
the year. This is encouraging.
Our economy would have grown even faster had there not been two
external mitigating factors. The first is the global economic downturn
which had repurcussions on Rwanda’s economy. The second is the
consequence of conflict in a neighbouring country that has been blamed
on Rwanda when this is not true. We are not the cause of or contributing
factor to this conflict, even those who claim this know it. Those who
accuse us are actually the cause of the conflict.
Click here for the Kinyarwanda version
As you know there is a report based on falsehoods which some of our
longtime partners have used as the basis to suspend development aid, in a
manner that violates agreed principles of international development
partnerships.
I would say that these actions did not come as a surprise because we
have known all along, from experiences we have had, that external
support does not depend on us and can be stopped at anytime. They don’t
even need to have a reason, let alone one based on the truth. Our goal
must remain to work hard in order to reduce our dependence on aid. What
is important is not get discouraged as we move forward towards this
objective. Suspension of development assistance may slow down the
progress we are making but it should not stop us from doing our best to
improve our wellbeing and to lift our citizens out of poverty as we have
already done for one million Rwandans in the last five years.
There is no doubt that if we continue to work with full commitment,
and with the right mindset, to take our country forward and grow our
economy, the aid suspension may prove to be a valuable lesson for
Rwanda.
The foundation has been laid. In addition to the hard work that has
characterised Rwandans this year and in the years before, we have peace,
security and good governance in our country. There is much more we have
managed to achieve that I will talk about.
The number of banks and their branches continue to grow throughout
the country. Cooperatives and SACCOs have also increased in number and
proven to be of great value for their members and for the country’s
economy in general. It is not just the numbers, the quality of services
also continue to improve.
Rwandans accessing financial services increased from 48% in 2008 to
72% this year. In total, banks and other financial institutions have
given a total of 440 billion Rwandan francs worth of loans, which marks a
major increase from 339 billion of last year. If we maintain and
further improve our savings culture and make use of financial services,
there is no doubt our economy will grow even more.
In 2012, Rwandan exports grew at 74% while their value increased by
22%. Our imports grew by 29% while their value increased by close to
14%. Although exports grew, there is still a big deficit, judging by how
much we spend on imports. We must therefore increase the size and value
of our exports in order to maximize benefits.
Investment in Rwanda, both internal and foreign, has increased this
year. In the first three quarters of 2012, investments reached a total
of $570 million, compared to $483 million last year. It is encouraging
to note that investments are being made in projects that have a direct
and positive impact on our economy. These include investments in
electricity distribution, international hotels, and Rwandair which
connects Rwanda to the rest of the world.
The incentives we have put in place to motivate businesses have
contributed in a major way to this growth in investment. This partly
explains why Rwanda was ranked first in “Doing Business” in the East
African Community and third in Africa.
This year we continued to construct new roads including
Kigali-Musanze, Kigali-Gatuna, Rusizi-Rubavu, Ntendezi-Huye, and also
rehabilitated others. Big and small towns and trading centers around the
country continued to be transformed and renewed. Water and electricity
are more widely distributed in the country, although additional efforts
are needed to ensure that many more Rwandans are able to access these
utilities.
The mining sector continues to play a big role in growing our
economy. This year, revenue from mineral resources totaled close to $128
million and is expected to rise which will result in more benefits for
Rwandans, including additional employment.
The tourism industry also continued to advance and is now the biggest
foreign currency earner. Rwanda’s security and stability attracts
visitors keen to see what is being done here and enjoy the country’s
various attractions.
By October this year, tourism generated $232 million compared to $204
million last year. It is critical that we strive to provide excellent
service and customer care so that visitors to Rwanda leave as good
ambassadors who will return and also encourage others to visit.
We should also be encouraged by the progress we have made in
advancing Information and Communication Technology. It is now easier
than ever to access numerous services, including news and information,
send and receive money, get market prices of food stuff both within
Rwanda and beyond.
We encourage all Rwandans, especially the youth, to take advantage of
available technology as this will add value to our work and lead to
increased revenues.
In the social sector, more Rwandans today are enrolled in formal
education than in previous years, and more citizens are able to access
appropriate health care.
This year, the number of schools at every level, as well as the
number of students has increased. In primary school, the number of
students increased by 2.3% from 2,341,146 last year to 2,394,674. In
secondary schools, the number of students increased by almost 10%, up
from 486,437 last year to 534,712. The number of students in
universities increased by 4% from 73,674 in 2011 to 76,629 this year.
We also launched the 12-Year Basic Education to improve on the 9-Year Basic Education program we already had in place.
Furthermore, we are pleased with the increased number of technical
vocational schools established, as well as the number of students, which
has risen from 67,919 to 74,320. These students are acquiring skills
that will enable them to work in industries, agriculture and also create
their own jobs. We must continue to invest in and build the capacity of
these schools so that Rwanda can benefit even more from the skills and
knowledge of well-trained and greater numbers of graduates.
We have a duty to encourage Rwandan youth to acquire vocational
training because Rwanda’s economy will continue to depend on practical
knowledge. But in order to motivate young people, leaders here today as
well as parents everywhere must understand the value of vocational
training.
We also note the number of international universities that have set
up branches in Rwanda, such as Carnegie-Mellon University from the
United States. This contributes to high quality education in general and
allows Rwandans to access specialised knowledge previously only
available abroad.
In the health sector, in 2012 we concentrated on increasing the
number of hospitals and skilled medical professionals. You may know
about a new program to bring doctors from abroad particularly from
renowned American universities and hospitals to build capacity of
Rwandan doctors and hospitals.
We reformed the community health insurance scheme so that every
Rwandan is now able to access medical care anywhere in the country.
Diseases like malaria that had afflicted Rwandans for a long time, as
well as child and maternal mortality continue to reduce significantly.
Statistics show that deaths of children under the age of five has fallen
from 152 of every 1000 in 2005 to 54. Maternal mortality has dropped
from 750 of every 100,000 in 2005 to 134, while the number of deaths
caused by malaria reduced greatly, from 54% in 2005 to 6%.
We will continue efforts to fight malnutrition that is often the
result of bad mentality and illiteracy. It is not right that our country
has attained self sufficiency in food and yet some parts of our country
continue to experience malnutrition. We will continue to give our
doctors advanced and specialised training as well as continue to manage
and fight HIV/AIDS.
In the justice sector, laws continue to be reviewed where it is
deemed necessary, based on international best practices. It is in
recognition of this development that some international courts are
sending back suspects living in their countries who may have committed
crimes in Rwanda.
We have reduced the length of sentences and are working to transform
prisons into correctional institutions. This initiative has resulted in a
reduction in the number of detention facilities and detainees.
The Abunzi system of justice has taken root and citizens play a major
role in this program that is based on Rwandan historical tradition.
This system has been key in reducing cases that would have otherwise
gone to courts of law. We have also established centres for access to
justice in every District to provide legal advice to Rwandans.
Gacaca Courts that concluded this year did an outstanding job of
delivering reconciliatory justice. These courts provided solutions for
huge challenges faced by Rwandans as a result of the genocide. This also
is evidence that Rwandans have the capacity to find solutions to
challenges that we face, even in the future.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rwandans from all
walks of life, both in the country and abroad as well as friends of
Rwanda for contributing to the Agaciro Development Fund, which we
created.
We will continue to work closely with other African nations and
beyond in pursuit of long-term stability for our region, as well as work
for development and improved wellbeing of all Africans.
We will also continue to offer our contribution to peace and
stability in Africa and elsewhere in the world when needed and within
our means.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Rwanda is on the right
path; what we need to do now is stay focused on our vision, implement
the plans we have made, and never get discouraged in the struggle to
take our country and our people forward even in the face of adversity –
and I can assure you that we will have challenges. But we have to commit
to facing these challenges head on and overcoming them. These obstacles
should not discourage but energise us and strengthen our determination.
Let us show our resolve and commitment in this New Year, so that it
may be even better than the year that just ended. May our economy grow
and may we lift many more Rwandans out of poverty.
Starting with our own plentiful capacities in addition to our energy,
let us continue to work for good results. On this, all leaders need to
understand that they must be fully involved and committed. I wish to not
only remind but also request this again of leaders.As I said earlier,
this is an opportunity to wish all Rwandans and friends of Rwanda a
Happy New Year.
May it be a year of abundance and productivity for you all and your
families, and may it also be a year of continued joint work to take our
country forward to where we deserve to be.
Thank you, have a good evening and God bless you.