On his twitter handle Kagame wrote, “Happy Heroes’ Day”.
The 24th Heroes Day was marked under the theme ‘Let’s Uphold Heroism to build the Rwanda we want’.
On her Twitter handle the Minister of Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu said that commemorating heroes is to value what they fought for; which is having a good nation.
She urged youth to uphold heroism by building the nation they want.
The three categories of Rwandan Heroes are Imanzi, Imena and Ingezi.
In Imanzi are, late Gen. Maj Fred Gisa Rwigema former commandant of Rwanda Patriotic Army and Unknown Soldier.
In Imena, they include King Mutara III Rudahigwa, Michel Rwagasana, Agathe Uwiringiyimana, Félicité Niyitegeka and Nyange Students.
Currently no person has been honoured in Ingenzi category.
In a press conference on Wednesday, RRA explained that they achieved their target at 101.8%. When compared to the first semester of 2016/2017 fiscal year where RRA collected Rwf507.5 billion, tax revenue collections grew by 14.8%.
Non-tax revenue collections amounted to Rwf8 billion compared to the target of Rwf7.4 billion which reflects a performance of 108.6%.
Local Government taxes and fees collections amounted to Rwf19.8 billion against a target of Rwf19.1 billion which reflects an achievement of 104%. This represents year-on-year growth of 19.9% and a nominal increase of Rwf3.3 billion.
RRA Commissioner General, Richard Tusabe said that the growth is attributed to strong economic environment, low inflation rate, good agricultural performance, increased taxes arrears collection and increased Value Added Taxes (VAT) turnover.
Tusabe said that the economy was projected to grow by 6.5% during 2017/2018 fiscal year but the data released recently by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda shows a growth of 8% for the 1st quarter the same year.
He said inflation was forecasted at 6.6% for 2017/2018 fiscal year, but the outturn was lower with inflation averaging 2.8% between July and December 2017.
According to Tusabe, the first quarter of agricultural season was good with growth of 8% things which resulted in good performance in revenue collections. Taxes arrears collection also increased by Rwf12 billion (72.8%).
According to RRA, VAT turnover declared increased by 16.9%, compared to 9.6% in July to December 2016.
Also the petroleum imports for local consumption increased by 3% compared to July to December 2016.
Speaking with IGIHE, these teachers expressed their worries as they are hardly surviving with accumulated debts and being kept in the dark as they cannot tell when they will be paid.
“Our children are not going to school because we cannot pay for their fees, some teachers are being chased by their landlords as we all do not have the money to sustain ourselves,” lamented one teacher
ESSI Nyamirambo’s Headteacher, Nshimiyimana Haruna, confirmed the bad situation saying it is being addressed.
“It is true that teachers have not received their pay in the last three months. The problem emanates from the fact that the money for the teachers’ salaries comes from United Emirates Arabia and continues to USA, and forth to Libya before being received in Kigali; but due to security problems in Libya, the USA no longer sends the money to Libya.”
He added that he was optimistic that the problem would be resolved very soon.
ESSI Nyamirambo secondary school has more than 600 students.
In a man’s younger years, pleasing everyone (especially his friends) is a priority. He wants to make them happy, and even when he doesn’t have everything it takes to do that, he borrows, because he doesn’t want to seem like the ‘bad guy’. But as a man grows older, understanding of the reality that you cannot please everyone kicks in. That is one of the signs you’re mature.
{{He won’t run from seemingly impossible situations}}
Only an immature man who isn’t ready to grow runs from difficult situations. He sees them, and thinks, “oh this is bigger than I can handle”, so he shies away from it, but the truth is you can’t run from certain things. Some of those ‘Impossible situations’ will always wait for you no matter how far you try to run. A mature man understands this, and embraces it. He knows that at the end of everything he’s turning out better.
{{He doesn’t make decisions in a haste or anger}}
There’s a reason they say never make a decision when you’re angry or excited. It is because judgment is usually clouded in moments like that. A mature man knows this, and he saves those big decisions and judgments for when he’s in a calm state of mind.
{{He embraces his responsibilities}}
Every human being has responsibilities, and as they grow older, these things get even bigger. The difference between an immature man and a mature man is the ability to see and accept responsibility, but the truth is not every older man accepts responsibility because like I said, maturity doesn’t necessarily come with age, it comes with experience, and a willingness to grow. A mature man doesn’t shy away from responsibility, he embraces them.
{{He doesn’t live for the moment}}
“You only live once.” “Live like today is your last.” Those are very common phrases used by young people today in a bid to suggest that life isn’t necessarily about tomorrow, but about today.
But is that so? Is there no hope for tomorrow? Do you not want to get married, have kids, or maybe live a fulfilling life in future? If so, how then can you live like today is your last? Why waste your resources, and live without a plan for the future? A mature man has plans for tomorrow, and he does everything to see his future come to be.
{{SRC:elcrema.com}}
Kagame assumed the office on Sunday in the ceremony that took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in line with the 30th AU Summit.
Through his twitter account, Kagame thanked people who congratulated him and promised them on better services in the Union.
“To the many leaders and citizens of our continent who sent congratulatory messages but above all gave me your trust to lead our African Union (AU), I thank you immensely and I do not take this for granted. I will give it all I can to serve you the way it should be!!” reads his tweet.
Kagame reminded them that it is double trust upon him following the reform of the union he leads.
“In fact it is ‘double trust’ – at first you(leaders) have asked me to lead the reform process and happy to say we have made good progress together and we continue to do so!” he said.
Kagame assumed the AU chairmanship on Sunday replacing Guinea President Alpha Conde.
In his acceptance speech, Kagame said that Africa has assets and strengths to build on, starting with African Union and its tangible commitment to unity.
“Unity must be our starting point as we work to re-define Africa’s plans and ambitions. These changes need to happen,” he said.
“There’s no country on our continent that does not want to be part of a more assertive and visible Africa. The programmes, policies and priorities of the AU contain the right tools for the job,” he added.
One of his managers, Balaam Barugahare, told New Vision at around 8:15am local time that Radio breathed his last at Case Hospital in Kampala.
“Yes, Radio is gone. He died at 6:00am this morning,” he said on phone.
“They are preparing to transfer his body to Mulago Hospital,” he added.
He was aged around 33.
Radio was a victim of an attack at a bar in Entebbe barely two weeks ago. The altercation left his with serious head injuries that necessitated a brain surgery at Case Hospital in Kampala.
Up until the time of his death Thursday morning, the Ugandan music star, who sang alongside Douglas Mayanja, aka Weasel, had remained in critical state at the health facility.
His death comes just days after his mother, Jane Kasubo, had told a press conference at Case Hospital that Radio’s condition was improving, as had been confirmed by doctors.
“My son has been breathing with the help of machines, but now he can breathe on his own,” she told reporters last Friday.
The launch on Wednesday was witnessed by President John Magufuli who said the e-passport would bring lasting solution to a number of challenges associated with immigration services in the country.
The e-passport is embedded with a machine readable computer chip which contains the holder’s biometric information on a tamper-proof page, and has been touted as a major step in curbing fraud and easing clearance at international airports where e-readers are installed.
Tanzania becomes the second EAC member country to roll out the e-passports after Kenya which launched the documents in September last year, 17 years after discussions to develop the Community document began.
The 35th EAC Council of Ministers meeting in last April directed member states to start issuing the regional e-passport by January 2018.
The new technology to print the e-passport in Tanzania was installed by US-based HID company with support from the government of Ireland and cost about $58 million.
The signing ceremony took place Wednesday in Kigali between the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete and Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, Rao Hoingwei.
Speaking at the event, Minister Gatete said that China always support Rwanda’s programmes including education and infrastructural activities among others.
He said that among the agreement signed, $16 million will go to extension of IPRC Musanze which will result in increasing the number of students they train.
“Rwanda intends to be a knowledge based economy, therefore education is crucial. The extension of IPRC Musanze will ensure the school meets the increasing demands of diploma education while drilling of water boreholes will contribute to the alleviation of water shortage,” he said.
The State Minister for Technical Vocational Education and Training in the Ministry of Education, Olivier Rwamukwaya said that the grant will facilitate IPRC Musanze in terms of capacity.
“The grant will help to increase the number of classrooms that students will use during practice, the school will be also equipped with materials,” he said.
Upon completion, IPRC Musanze will have the capacity to enroll 1500 diploma students and 400 short-course trainees up from 560 diploma students and 180 short-course trainees.
A total of $8 million will go to the construction of 200 boreholes which will provide water to the communities in eleven districts of Eastern Province and will serve approximately 300 to 1500 people per borehole with potable water in selected area.
Both parties are still discussing where they will allocate the rest of the grant, but officials assure that they will decide on it in the near future.
Ambassador Hoingwei said that China will continue to provide assistance in supporting different sectors of economy of Rwanda.
“China will continue to provide assistance in infrastructure construction, industrialization and agricultural modernization to improve the economic and social development of Rwanda,” Hoingwei said.
The construction works will be conducted under the partnership with the Federation Royal Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
The development was confirmed by FERWAFA president, Vincent de Gaule Nzamwita after holding a meeting with Anouar Gueriri, the Director General of the Morocco based Coter Terhrazaz Construction Company which will handle the construction works.
The meeting was held on Tuesday in Casablanca on the sidelines of the on-going Africa Nations’ Championship taking place in Morocco.
“They (Coter Terhrazaz Construction) are beginning constructions works of both stadiums in Gicumbi and Rusizi in April. Based on the meeting we had, they will use these two months to ship their equipments to Rwanda such that by April they begin construction activities,” Nzamwita said.
“They have accessed the topographical requirements of each site and are ready to begin works without any issues,” Nzamwita added.
Rusizi and Gicumbi districts will each have a 3000-seater stadium with expenses fully covered.
Depending on the need of other districts or government agency and its repayment plan, more 3000-seater stadium (which can be elevated to more seats in the near future) will be constructed in at least each district.
Kagame was speaking at the ‘Africa Business and Investment Forum’ in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday.
He said that through the cooperation, much can be done to develop different aspects of sectors of the continent.
“There is so much more we can do, when we cooperate. First, as Africans, as we do through the African Union, and also with partners outside, some of whom we also have with us here,” he said.
“More collaboration is also needed between government and business. At the end of the day, we share the same goal of raising the well-being and prosperity of our citizens,” he noted.
He said that the success of business in Africa is critically important to the future of the continent and added that there is a need for active support from the private sector. “in fact without your voice something essential is missing,”
Kagame said that several of the African Union’s most ambitious initiatives, are designed to unshackle commercial activity and entrepreneurship. He said, it is about providing a better quality of life to the citizens.
“I am thinking about the Continental Free Trade Area and the free movement of people which we hope to conclude this year, as well as the Single African Air Transport Market which we inaugurated yesterday. I wish to remind business leaders that you can get your African passports from the AU Commission and this will facilitate you to do business smoothly around the continent,” he said.
He said the initiatives are very important for the competitiveness of African firms, and their ability to expand to new markets and hire more employees, especially young people.
According to Kagame, there are many other urgent frameworks for economic integration waiting to be finalised and applied.
He said it will happen more quickly if Africa’s business leaders keep advocating for Pan-African economic cooperation with policy-makers and the public, especially through the media.
“I am happy to see that today’s roundtables are specific and full of practical detail. This makes it more likely that new public-private partnerships can be forged. We need the private sector’s help in that regard,” he said.
By using health sector as an example, Kagame said that inadequate medical care costs companies and the public sector, a lot of money and lost productivity, through illness and disability. However he said the private sector is part of the solution.
A report from the International Finance Corporation a few years ago, found that the majority of health services consumed in Africa, are already supplied privately.
For Kagame, this doesn’t mean governments should privatise healthcare systems, but rather find ways to improve quality and access to healthcare.
{{Rwanda’s experience}}
In Rwanda, Kagame said the government has entered into an arrangement with an African company to manage the largest hospital.
“What is being done there is already showing success,” he said.
He said they are also partnering with a private firm from the United States, Zipline, to pioneer the use of drone aircraft to deliver blood and other medical supplies to rural hospitals.
Based on such experience, Kagame emphasized that there is much more can be done when governments cooperate with businesses.
