RRA and Gasabo District carried out on Wednesday land lease tax payment campaign which was aimed at raising awareness about tax payment among city dwellers.
Dubbed ‘RRA Iwacu’, the Deputy Commissioner for Regional and Decentralized Taxes, Ernest Karasira said the campaign aimed to remind population about paying before the deadline.
“Land lease tax fee is paid annually before 31st December and there are few days remaining to reach the end of the year, that is why RRA in partnership with local authorities has launched this campaign,” he said
He said they expected to raise Rwf3 billion in Gasabo District, but they had collected Rwf598 million, below 20% of the target by Wednesday 13th December.
He said, in Nyarugenge District, out of Rwf720 million that was expected by this year, 97.6% has been paid. Rwf361 million have been collected out of Rwf2,6 billion targeted in Kicukiro District.
According to RRA, Rwf6,5 billion taxes from land lease in 2016 and over Rwf7 billion is targeted around the country this year.
Gasabo District Mayor Stephen Rwamuragwa said paying taxes on deadline is a result of poor mindset.
“We still have mindset problem where our people want to pay everything on the deadline,” he said.
Taxpayer and Kinyinya resident, Innocent Muhigira said the campaign taught him a lot about land lease tax payment.
The law says that land lease tax should be paid on commercial, industrial and residential plots. It must also be paid on arable land with the size above two hectares.
Most of the rich and wealthy people we know today have the following habits…
{{They have a budget}}
Definitely worth adopting. Having a budget allows one plan their spending properly, and avoid going beyond their spending limit. It allows you know where your money goes to, and helps control the waste of financial resources. As long as you have good discipline, it’s hard to not spend wisely with a budget.
{{They don’t do impulse buys}}
Impulse buys are major avenues for the loss of finances by people. Of course, it’s buying outside your budget for the week or month. A lot of us have this problem sadly. But it’s difficult to save money when you buy impulsively. It’s better to draw a list of the things you need for the month, and buy them, then totally forget buying. If you think you have a serious need, instead of buying a product/service to meet it immediately, go home, think about it, and decide if you truly need it after 24 hours.
{{They don’t move around with their debit/credit cards}}
People usually have their debit/credit cards with them for the purpose of paying with ease, and sometimes it’s because they want to be able to buy just anything at any time, but the truth about it is carrying one’s debit/ credit cards around would rather encourage impulse buying and excessive spending than not. Because you have your card, it’s easier to pay for even things you don’t need, but if you have a few budgeted thousands or hundreds in your pockets, its difficult to go outside your limit because there’s no means to do that.
{{They don’t live above their means}}
These guys are usually the most principled set of people. They don’t live to impress anyone, because they know at the end it doesn’t matter. Most wealthy people got there living within their income, and not above it. Now, how does one do that? Don’t create false standards for yourself, and don’t live to impress anyone. Avoiding those means no borrowing, and more savings culture.
{{Source:elcrema.com}}
Kagame was speaking Thursday at the RPF Congress in Kigali ahead of 30th Anniversary celebrations slated on Saturday.
Congratulating RPF members on the 30th Anniversary, Kagame said that it is a milestone not only of years but of efforts that changed the course of history of Rwanda as well as the character.
He said RPF emerged as a response to Rwanda’s serious problems caused by bad politics. These problems, he said, include a divided country with no direction, where citizens’ rights were abused, deprived of dignity and security.
“To change the situation, commitment and great sacrifice were required. It also took ideological clarity corresponding with actions and behavior,” he said.
He said liberation meant facing new challenges including resistance to change, to learning and a sense of entitlement from those who thought the country owed them something.
Kagame said during the struggle, some people got astray, put personal interests above the core values of the RPF and accepted to be used by external forces who never wanted RPF to move forward and be who they must be.
“Knowing their weaknesses, external forces used praises, they told them they were better than the ones they fought with, better than their fellow Rwandans and they went from being leaders to being tools of external forces,” he explained.
For Africans with no pride and no dignity, Kagame said, the promise of citizenship in a foreign country was enough.
“When their plans failed, they were satisfied with being taken to a foreign country to become security guards at a bank or at a store,” he said.
“They failed to see that when you are a tool of external forces, no one will stand by you when you are no longer useful and that is what happened when they were faced with failure,” he said.
Kagame said they cannot let these challenges deter the party from the goals they have set.
“Our citizens expect us to succeed. To deliver on development, for their children to go to school, for citizens to earn a livelihood, we cannot afford to fail our citizens,” Kagame noted.
He said they have to ask themselves what example they are setting for the youth, adding that their legacy to youth should be about how they build the country and forge the identity as Rwandans.
“As cadres of RPF-Inkotanyi, we should not be bragging about what others can learn from us. That is not who we are or the values we stand for. Let us focus on the many challenges we still face and solve them,” he urged.
“You have to think of yourself as a leader who puts those you serve first, a leader who thinks about how to work with their peers. Not leaders who put themselves first. Those are not our values,” he added.
He said anything they accomplish is meaningless if they do not have the right values guiding them.
“What we are celebrating today are the achievements of a generation. But we cannot be short sighted. We must think of what we can do today to benefit the generations to come. All the challenges we have faced, and the milestones we have reached, they should all serve as lessons that we should use to move forward,” Kagame urged RPF Cadres.
Speaking about external threats, Kagame said “the power to protect what we have achieved, who we are and what we stand for is within us.”
Back to the liberation struggle, Kagame said when the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) commander tried to tell former Rwanda Patriotic Army not to fight because the French had superior weapons, he gave him two messages to deliver: ‘Tell them there is no greater death than accepting what is happening now. Tell them they are human beings who bleed like we do’.
Rurangirwa was speaking yesterday during the handover ceremony with outgoing Minister Jean Philbert Nsengimana.
“I will work hard to implement these programmes handed to me now. I am lucky because I am not coming to start from scratch, a lot has been constructed and I will start from there. There are laws, vision and institutions. I am coming to share ideas and collaborate with you in seeking solutions for the remaining hindrances. My share will be to achieve what is missing. I would like to promise partnership in the team along our job,” he said.
Outgoing Minister Nsengimana pledged support to his successor saying that he will continue to provide his contribution in constructing the nation.
“No one retires from the course of nation building and development. Someone gets off such an appointment, but I cannot say that I am leaving because we are still together. Wherever I will be working, in public institution or self-employed or in private company, I would assure you that we will be together,” he said.
President Kagame appointed Rurangirwa Minister of ICT on last week, replacing Nsengimana who had been in the position since 2011.
The task on Dr Mutimura was made yesterday during the handover ceremony between the incoming minister and outgoing Dr. Papias Malimba Musafiri.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sam Mulindwa said the sector has a range of problems that need sustainable solutions to bolster the development of education in Rwanda.
“There are challenges in constructing new classrooms and renovating old ones while others need school materials,” he said adding that a total of 4,000 classrooms were needed to be constructed by this year, but only 1,000 were constructed.
He said there is currently a shortage of laboratories compared to the demand in secondary schools and some higher learning institutions.
“Teachers earn a smaller salary compared to other public servants,” he claimed.
The outgoing minister, Dr Musafiri said that despite existing problems in the sector, a lot has been done and other measures are in place to address the existing problems. He urged his successor to keep working on improving quality of education to meet Rwandans’ expectations.
“Though we have all these problems, we are proud to say that much has been done like providing education for all. However, Rwandans need something more beyond this, that is quality of education,” he said.
Dr Mutimura said that in partnership with other officials, he hopes to find solutions for the remaining problems.
“You have achieved a lot and by working closely with other ministries and different institutions, we shall make achieve more,” he said.
“I, alone, cannot achieve it and this is why I ask for your assistance. I promise my good collaboration along the journey,” he told the ministry’s staff.
Dr Mutimura was appointed education minister on last week, replacing Dr Musafiri who had been in the dockets since June 2015.
The Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety Department, CP George Rumanzi said
that under the partnership with population, general safety and security was well
maintained.
The force shared the report on Wednesday in a periodic Police-media interaction that
aimed at strengthening partnerships for quality service delivery.
Police said that road accidents in public transport reduced by 32% compared to 2016,
attributing the improvement to road safety measures mainly the introduction of speed
governors in passenger vehicles.
According to Police, 34% of lives perished in road accidents were pedestrians, 22% were motorcycle drivers and 14% were bicycle riders.
Rumanzi said that campaigns are ongoing to sensitize pedestrians on good use of roads.
He said that they continue to sensitize automobile users to embrace road rules by
avoiding high speed and turn up regularly for mechanical inspection.
In 2017, he said mechanical inspection was conducted on 102,000 automobiles while
95,000 people got driving licenses.
{{How crimes dropped
}}
The Commissioner for Criminal Investigation Department, ACP Jean Marie Vianney
Twagirayezu said Police registered 16,088 crimes in 2017, reflecting a reduction of 5.4% compared to figures of 2016.
“This is attributed to measures that police have put in place like cooperation with
population. People are providing timely information which helps us for investigations,”
he said adding that 90% of investigated people faced justice.
Among major crimes committed this year include assault, theft, defilement, murder, rape, illicit drug-related crimes, human trafficking and cyber-crimes.
Twagirayezu cautioned Rwandans on security during festive seasons by ensuring their
own security and avoiding accidents.
“We urge Rwandans to avoid drunk-driving, drugs, reckless conducts, maintaining their security and good parenting,” he urged.
The force also appealed to the general public to enjoy in the usual peaceful manner without disrupting beliefs and celebrations of other people.
While opening a periodic Police-media interaction, on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening partnerships for quality service delivery, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, said “Police value the contribution of the media in informing and educating the public on security related matters.”
The periodic session brings together the Police and media practitioners to discuss issues pertaining security and partnership with the media in policing.
Police Chief said the safety, security and peace that people in Rwanda enjoy today will continue to be fostered in partnership with the general public and the media in particular to jointly raise awareness and fight any threat to the wellbeing of the people.
“There are individuals that look at such festivities as an opportunity to engage in criminal acts like stealing or taking advantage of unsuspecting people for their valuables,” IGP Gasana said, calling for usual vigilance and real time information sharing on any suspected wrongdoers.
He reminded parents to monitor and guide their children especially minors as they celebrate and prevent them from engaging into malpractices like abusing alcoholic beverages and going into entertainment spots, which is prohibited by law.
“As various security operations continue to be conducted as usual, citizens are required to be involved and continue working with the Police by reporting any suspicious behavior that might require targeted checks,” IGP Gasana added.
He further advised people to drink and enjoy responsibly while avoiding engaging in violence like fighting to ensure a peaceful and crime-free festive season.
Presenting on the state of road safety in the country, the Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety department, Commissioner of Police (CP) George Rumanzi, cautioned motorists against drunk-driving, speeding, recklessness and bad maneuvers, which are most common during the festive season, and at times, causing fatal accidents.
The partnership will focus on opportunities for collaboration and the progressive commitment between AIMS and BK for mutual benefits.
The partnership also sets a framework for both organisations to discuss the possibility for collaboration on the AIMS Industry Initiative strategic pillars including: Innovative Design and Thinking for African Solutions that allows AIMS graduates to work on top business challenges and propose innovative solutions including the design, prototypes for new products and services to support the Bank of Kigali’s innovation objectives, business operations and growth.
“We at AIMS are very proud and excited about this partnership with the Bank of Kigali. We believe that education is not something to be acquired in a vacuum. It must enable graduates to contribute tangibly to industry needs. An education in mathematical sciences, combined with industry experience, respond to the needs of Africa’s private sector and enables our graduates to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth story,” said Thierry Zomahoun, President and CEO of AIMS.
The partnership between the Bank of Kigali and AIMS includes collaboration on internship and employment opportunities and academic research applied to financial industry needs and the Bank of Kigali specific needs related to one or several of the following aspects: operational research, financial mathematics, climate and environmental science, big data, computer security, encryption, monitoring and evaluation.
“Education and innovation are two of the three pillars of Bank of Kigali’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. We are particularly excited about our new partnership with AIMS because it gives us an opportunity to directly support the training of the next generation of our country’s problem solvers through Science and research which are important to Rwanda’s development agenda,” said Dr. Diane Karusisi, Bank of Kigali Chief Executive Officer.
Under the new partnership, Bank of Kigali will provide AIMS access to facilities, datasets and other tools needed for research and specialised training programmes in accordance with the legal framework and procedures related to data access.
The Museum is built in the Parliamentary building which was once known as Conceil National de Developement (CND) because the building hosted the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) politicians and the 600 man protection force (3BN) from 28th December 1993 as they were in the preparations for the installation of Broad Based Transitional Government and the National Transitional Assembly.
These 600 man protection force were the ones given the order first on April 7th 1994 by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) Chairman of High Command, Major General Paul Kagame, now the President of the Republic to break out from their initial positions defend themselves and rescue victims of genocide in their vicinity when campaign against genocide began.
The Museum depicts in details how the Campaign Against Genocide Plan was executed by RPA following the withdrawal of UN troops leaving the targeted Tutsi under the mercy of the genocidaires and how RPA forces who were in the war of liberation took the unilateral decision to stop Genocide, rescue vistims of genocide and defeat the genocidal forces.
The museum has its outer part comprised of monuments including that of the 12.7mm Machine Gun that helped in containing the advancing genocidal forces.
The Internal part of the museum has nine main galleries or rooms, the most important one being the gallery showing Maj. Gen. Paul Kagame in his capacity of Chairman RPA High Command giving the order to stop the genocide.
Other galleries show exhibition about peace process, Genocide Preparation and Genocide execution, defeat of Genocidal forces and Rescue Victims of Genocide, enemy defeat and humanity in the face of genocide, among others.
The external part is composed with monuments where the main monument faces the entrance of the parliamentary buildings and narrates the story of rescue missions carried out by the RPA.
The second monument bears a soldier holding a 12.7mm Machine Gun that helped in containing the advancing genocidal forces. The third monument is in honour of the soldiers who perished during the rescue operations.
The monument placed on top of the Parliamentary buildings is a statue of two soldiers operating a heavy machine gun that helped RPA defeat forces that were based at Camp of Presidential Guards (Camp GP)
District leadership said that there are problems that haunt the district like family conflicts and teenage pregnancies which result in.
Nyanza District Vice-Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Solange Mutesi said on Tuesday that the vices are hampering the community development, causing girls school dropouts and more problems.
“Figures show us 106 families with violence and conflicts, we also have teenage pregnancies problem as figures show us that over 200 teenagers carried unwanted pregnancies, we continue to mobilise people to fight against all these problems and we hope to reduce them,” she said.
In Partnership with an umbrella of Rwandan civil society organizations aiming at advancing women status, peace building and sustainable development, Pro-Femmes Twese Hamwe concluded, on Tuesday, a 16-day activism against women and children violence.
Jeanne d’Arc Kanakuze, President of Profemmes Twese Hamwe, said that family conflicts is a matter of concern in the society.
“Our campaign has yielded some good impacts on making people are aware of violence. We need to continue to introduce other programmes aimed at uprooting violence in the Rwandan community,” she said.
The fight against violence continues even after the campaign, according to officials.
