Numbers show that from April 20th to May 3rd different people across the country received different medical services in a yearly activity that will take three months.
Among those operated are; 1639 who were operated on respiratory disease, 717 were operated on female-specific diseases, 1163 were operated on bones, 1340 were operated on internal diseases, 399 received dermatology services; a total of 11,191 were circumcised and 795 were tested on HIV/AIDS.
Yesterday, RDF officials visited the sites of activities in Rulindo and Bugesera Districts. People who spoke to IGIHE hailed the activities by Rwandan army saying that they were not able to afford the cost of operation.
The 62-year-old Cassien Karekezi from Rweru Sector of Bugesera District said that they operated him a pimple on his genital organs.
“I had a pimple on my genital organs which I suffered for five years. They operated it, and I hope to get better. I am blessed because I didn’t expect to get such services,” he said.
“Every single coin our family used to earn was spent in hospitals seeking medication which did not bear fruit. Today the situation is going to change, we will use our earning in family development activities,” he added.
RDF’s Maj. Dr. John Bukuru, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon said that in Bugesera District, they have operated 1300 people.
He said that the majority had teeth disease and called people to take care of their hygiene and medical check-up once they feel pain.
In other activities like agriculture, RDF partnered with people to cultivate Irish Potatoes on 137,6 hectares and Sweet Potatoes on 57,3 hectares; vegetables on 26,6 hectares and fought against banana bacterial wilt commonly known as Kirabiranya on a total of 61,39 hectares.
Rulindo District Mayor, Emmanuel Kayiranga hailed the activities saying that when soldiers go beyond security provision and partner with people, it helps spur the development of the country and welfare of the communities.
With the hugest number ever implemented in such a span of time compared to 52 reforms that were previously implemented in the last 15 years, Rwanda can only expect to improve in the next World Bank Doing Business ranking 2019 from the current 41st globally and second in Africa.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, RDB’s Chief Operations Officer Emmanuel Hategeka said the major reforms have reduced bureaucracy in construction, amount of time for electricity provision for investors, time exporters spend at customs and legal backlog, among other issues affecting the business climate.
“Ten years ago, the Government embarked on a strong agenda to transform our business environment in order to boost investment and private sector growth. One of the key tools that we relied on to guide this transformation is the World Bank Doing Business global report. Through strong leadership and consistent commitment to reforming the business environment, Rwanda implemented numerous business reforms over the last ten years”, said Hategeka.
The Doing Business report is a flagship World Bank publication which measures the relative ease of doing business across 190 economies, using a set of 10 indicators that track the entire lifecycle of a business such as what it takes to start, run and grow a business in a given country through the lens of business operators.
Reaffirming Rwanda’s vision to become competitive among the best globally, Minister of Trade and Industry, Vincent Munyeshyaka committed the Government of Rwanda to more reforms to make business environment increasingly competitive for local businesses and foreign investors alike.
“We must remain engaged with our private sector, understand the reforms needed for further growth and dynamism in the sector and uncover opportunities that will unleash the full potential of our private sector,” he said.
Munyeshyaka urged all institutions mainly RDB to double efforts for further improvements in business sector, saying that Rwanda has high ambitions as do many other economies, making the space of global trade and investment extremely competitive.
“As such, we must always ensure that our nation is able to compete among the best,” said the Minister.
Areas that require improvement include dealing with construction permit and getting electricity where Rwanda was ranked 122nd and 117th globally in Doing Business 2018. The power outage exceeding five minutes was also raised as an issue but as part of the solution, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority has adopted a regulation to administer fines for power outages exceeding 10 minutes.
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Noting that all the reforms are crucial, Hategeka said that some are more notable and those include a software application that can be installed on any electronic device to replace the electronic billing machine (EBM) in processing value added tax (VAT) invoices. This system will eliminate the cost implications of buying an EBM that has often ignited outcry among business community.
In dealing with construction permits, buildings are now categorized according to the nature and magnitude of the anticipated risk and this therefore determines which projects must undergo a full or partial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Geotechnical studies for buildings that fall in category DB as not exceeding 200 square meters and two floors has been eliminated, as well as topographic surveys for all types of buildings.
Another reform in dealing with construction permits is the removal of the requirement to fill a form notifying the One Stop Center at RDB of the commencement date of the project. Water connection now also takes two weeks, down from the previous 30 days.
Getting electricity connection has also improved, reducing the number of days from 34 to 20. The recently launched automated system also records and monitors power outages, improving transparency in the reliability of supply of energy in Rwanda.
In paying taxes, it now takes five hours to file for VAT since the introduction of the automatic VAT reconciliation online process. This advancement comes with the reduction of tax audit procedures and the opportunity to correct erroneous information entered after the deadline date.
As the Government of Rwanda is also focused on reducing the trade deficit by increasing exports, certain reforms such as the issuance of an online certificate of origin, the introduction of a risk based approach in inspection of exports, joint inspection of both exports and imports by agencies, and extension of working hours at Gatuna and Rusumo borders were introduced to reduce time and cost implications for investors.
In enforcing contracts, a new law on civil, commercial, labor and administrative procedures was passed with a provision for small claims procedures. Another reform includes a law limiting the grounds for adjournment for unforeseen and exceptional circumstances. On resolving insolvency, a new law particularly in relation to out of court voluntary mechanisms and individual bankruptcy was passed.
RDB also announced more key reforms in the offing including online auctions through a platform on which properties under auction can be viewed, bids entered and payments made; electronic titling to upgrade of the land administration system, just to mention but a few.
Wenger’s departure at the end of the season triggered sadness among Arsenal’s fans world-wide, as he had gone on too long and not been able to deliver another title or finally win the Champions League that he craved so badly.
Diego Costa killed Arsene Wenger’s last hope of a glorious Arsenal farewell as his goal sent Atletico Madrid through to the Europa League final 2-1 on aggregate on Thursday.
The 68-year-old Arsene Wenger admitted that he was “very, very sad” to be leaving Arsenal on the back of a Europa League semi-final defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
As fans took to twitter their disappointment, President Kagame among others gave his take on the departure of the coach who had been Arsenal’s coach for 22 good years.
“My take on my beloved Club Arsenal- a very good one at the game and a very good coach like A.Wenger, this should not have been the kind of ending of an era. The coach is leaving and club trophy-less it was long coming! I am still a committed fan going forward. Blame the owners”, reads President Kagame’s tweet.
“As I had said way back and just as a good observer…Something fundamental needed to change at/about the club. But if anything changed it was not the right one. All the best to all involved! We still need Arsenal to go back where it belongs- up there among the best in the game!” He added.
In 2007, when President Kagame who is a devoted Arsenal fan since 1996 was celebrating his 50th anniversary, Coach Arsene Wenger gave him Arsenal Emirates’ Flag with signatures of all players at the time.
Also in 2013, President Kagame was spotted in Arsenal’s stadium, where the team scored 2-0 against Napoli in UEFA Champions league.
The statement by UNHCR also calls Rwandan Authorities to avoid tensions that could lead to further loss of life.
The call follows Wednesday death of one refugee who succumbed to injuries due to confrontation with Police Officers.
UNHCR says that Police patrols are reportedly facing provocations by refugees and calls for clarification.
UNHCR’s Country Representative, Ahmed Baba Fall said that during confrontations, one refugee was injured and died upon arrival at Kibuye Hospital. He said that the circumstances surrounding the incident are to be clarified.
“UNHCR is deeply saddened and concerned by this tragedy and share its empathy with the family and other members of the refugee community,” says Ahmed.
“UNHCR urged at several occasions the refugees to respect local laws and express grievances through dialogue, while calling on authorities to handle the situation with calm and restraint” he says.
UNHCR says that on April 20th, UNHCR was made aware of the deployment of a large number of Police officers in and around Kiziba camp.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) informed UNCHR that the increase in the number of police officers is due to the rise of tensions in the camp and they are there to ensure security and safety of refugees, staff and host communities
MIDIMAR reiterated that there is no operation and that the Government of Rwanda will continue to promote the rule of law, law enforcement and justice for all.
The statement says that UNHCR recognizes that the RNP has the right to patrol on all the territory of Rwanda and is calling upon the refugees to stay calm.
As the demonstrations started in February, where refugees were claiming insufficient food rations and being denied other rights, UNHCR says that is advocating with donors to address the gaps in humanitarian funding and urgent needs of refugees.
To date, UNHCR’s 2018 appeal for USD 98.8 million to support refugees in Rwanda is only funded at 13%.
Among properties damaged are houses, over 4000 hectares of crops, bridges, roads among other infrastructures.
Speaking in a post-Cabinet Meeting press conference yesterday in Kigali, the Minister of Local Governance, Francis Kaboneka said that the government has committed to support families who were affected by disasters.
He said that the government continues to call upon those living in high-risk zones to relocate before they are affected by disasters.
“We encourage Rwandans to relocate, where it is necessary we can use other means; when we do this it doesn’t imply that the government hates its people, it is a way to save their lives,” he said.
Using an example, Kaboneka urged people to understand why leaders ask them to relocate.
“On April 2nd night, ten families in Ngororero District were asked to relocate. The day they relocated, all the houses in the area were destroyed by floods,” he explained.
He said that in Western Province, a total of 500 houses were registered and leaders requested their owners to relocate. Until April 4th, 115 houses of them had been destroyed.
“When leaders come telling you that there is a problem, people should understand, they should implement because it is in their benefits,” he said.
“As leaders who have the responsibilities to protect our people, sometimes, we do it by force so that we save lives,” he noted.
He said that they registered houses which can put lives of people in danger and a number of them were relocated. He said that if the exercise had not been conducted, the problem would have taken another level.
The Minister of Environment, Dr. Vincent Biruta said that the heavy rains continue in North-West and South-West of the country until May 10th. In other parts of the country, he said the rain will be moderate.
“My message is that as the rain continues, we encourage people to follow the weather forecast,” he said.
“More measures are needed to be put in place in partnership with people, but mostly we urge them to abide by leaders’ advice,” he added.
He urged people to put in place measures like water harvesting, planting trees and parents take care of their children so that they will not be victims of the floods.
The Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday discussed strategies and mechanisms that will continue to support those affected by disasters and to fast-track repair of damaged properties.
The Cabinet Meeting resolved to strengthen efforts to mitigate natural disasters in the long term with special emphasis on environmental protection, infrastructure development and maintenance, organized settlement as well as improved agriculture practices.
According to MIDIMAR, among the disasters that claimed many lives include thunderstorm which claimed 36 and landslides which claimed 42.
Ngirente was speaking on Thursday while opening the 23rd Governing Council of the World Customs Organization – East and Southern Africa Region (WCO-ESA) that is taking place in Kigali.
WCO-ESA is a 24-member country organization which mission is to provide leadership in the WCO East and Southern Africa Region in the areas of sustainable customs capacity building and change management.
Speaking at the event Ngirente said that the meeting comes at an opportune time following recent launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by African Union leaders.
He said that Africans deserve a continent which is developed and influential on global affairs, a move which will be facilitated by Customs organisations.
“Africa we want and deserve, is an Africa that is: developed, strong, united, trade with each other, resilient and influential on global affairs. To realise this, we must deepen our regional integration and boost economical abilities. Customs organisations will play a key role,” he said.
He said that the government of Rwanda hails the role of the World Customs Organization – East and Southern Africa Region in providing capacity building leadership and managing innovations in the areas of sustainable customs.
Ngirente urged on continued capacity building with modern methods of conducting customs activities to officers in charge of collecting and managing customs.
“Though a lot has been done in building the capacity of officers in charge of collecting and managing customs in East and Southern Africa Region, equipping them further with modern methods of conducting customs activities including application of IT needs to continue,” he added.
He said that equipping staff in customs with modern methods of conducting customs activities is key as Countries work against issues that do with cross border such as security, illegal importation of illicit drugs, human trafficking and trading in counterfeits.
“I urge all delegates to deliberate on these issues aiming at providing tangible measures. Special focus must also be put on modernisation of customs by ensuring that all World Customs Organization tools and packages are effectively utilized,” he urged.
The WCO East and Southern Africa Region consist of 24 Member Countries which are Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This was discussed during REMA’s launch of a study on Inventory of Sources of Air Pollution in Rwanda. The study looked at the current trends and situation of Air Pollution across the country, proposing a set of recommendations to beat pollution, calling for collective efforts to tackle the challenges brought by poor air quality.
The study indicates that vehicle emissions are the leading cause of air pollution in Kigali and other urban areas, where domestic biomass cook stoves from wood, charcoal and open fire burning in fields are the primary contributors to poor air quality in both residential and rural areas.
It also showed that 95,2% of the cars in Rwanda were at least ten years old, 56,6 % were made before 1999 and 77,2% were made before 2000.
The REMA Director General Eng. Collette Ruhamya, said that the government had put in place policies that guide public vehicles in Kigali but that worn-out cars and heavy-load vehicles that enhance poor air quality are still an issue yet to solve.
“If we had wider roads, then all those heavy-weight cars that emit pollutants would not have to pass in Kigali, because when they pass through the city in a great numbers, they pollute the atmosphere and skies”, she noted
“It is troubling that a three month study conducted in Kigali last year found that particulate matter concentrations in the city occasionally exceeded World Health Organisation guidelines”, Minister of Environment, Dr Biruta Vincent said
The Minister of Environment added that it was reassuring to note that the high concentrations of these pollutants, which were largely attributed to vehicle emissions, were greatly reduced during holidays and car-free days.
“This clearly demonstrates that we must continue to clean up our transport sector and look to new, cleaner technologies and innovative policy measures to reduce air pollution”, he added
Among the strategies and policy recommendations that were taken to address air pollution, it was agreed that cars would be given an age test, where new cars would be taxed at 20%, and old ones (above 10 years) would be taxed at 80%.
If the car is 10 years old and above, it will be taxed on 80%; between 9-10 years, it will be taxed on 75%; between 8-9 years, it will be taxed on 70%; between 7-8 years, it will be taxed on 65%, between 6-7 years, it will be taxed on 60%; between 5-6 years, the car will be taxed on 55%; between 4-5 years, the car will be taxed on 50%; between 3-4 years, it will be taxed on 40%; between 2-3 years, it will be taxed on 30 %, and the car between 1-2 years, will be taxed on 20%.
From the research made, 2,227 deaths were attributed to ambient air pollution in 2012 across the country, whereby the number of hospital admissions for acute respiratory infections in health centres increased from 1,682,321 in 2012 to 3,331,300 in 2015.
This was revealed on Wednesday in Kigali during the launch of a report on findings about ‘Inventory of Sources of Air Pollution; Determination of future trends and development of a national Air Quality Control Strategy’.
The meeting brought together policy makers, stakeholders in the environment and health sectors as well as other stakeholders to discuss the findings of the air quality monitoring study.
The 2017 State of Global Air Report, long-term exposure to air pollution contributed to the deaths of 6.1 million people in 2016 with strokes, heart attacks, lung disease and lung cancer causing many of them.
Air pollution is the fourth-highest cause of death worldwide, trailing smoking, high blood pressure and diet related diseases, and the majority of these deaths are recorded in poorer nations.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Vincent Biruta said that air pollution challenge is also affecting Rwanda. He said that in 2012 more than 2,000 deaths were attributed to ambient air pollution.
Between 2012 and 2015, the number of hospital admissions for acute respiratory infections in health centres across the country increased by almost double to more than 3.3 million.
“Today, air pollution is not only an environmental challenge, but also a risk to our national development. That’s why the Ministry of Environment and the Rwanda Environment Management Authority commissioned the study to assess the major sources of air pollution. Only by knowing the problem can we adequately respond to address it,” he said.
He said the study review provides an understanding of air quality in Rwanda by identifying sources of pollution, establishing a baseline and developing related strategy and policy recommendations to mitigate air pollution.
The study indicates that vehicle emissions are the leading cause of air pollution in the City of Kigali and other urban areas, while domestic biomass cook stoves from wood and charcoal and open fire burning in fields are the primary contributor to poor air quality in residential and rural areas.
“It is troubling that a three month study conducted in Kigali last year found that particulate matter concentrations in the city occasionally exceeded World Health Organisation guidelines. However, it was also reassuring to note that the high concentrations of these pollutants, which were largely attributed to vehicle emissions, greatly reduced during holidays and car-free days. This clearly demonstrates that we must continue to clean up our transport sector and look to new, cleaner technologies and innovative policy measures to reduce air pollution,” he said.
In January 2015, the government of Rwanda enacted new vehicle emission regulations, representing one of the first large-scale air pollution mitigation steps in the region. In 2016, a revised law governing the preservation of air quality and prevention of air pollution was passed.
The meeting follows separate cases of deaths and damages that were reported in last four months of the year.
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR), since January to April 30th, disasters have killed a total of 116 people.
Among the disasters that claimed many lives include thunderstorm which claimed 36 and landslides which claimed 42.
According to the statement of the cabinet decisions, the Cabinet Meeting expressed concern and sympathy to all Rwandans, especially families that have lost members and those impacted by the effects of the disasters caused by heavy rains.
The Cabinet Meeting discussed strategies and mechanisms that will continue to support those affected by disasters and to fast-track repair of damaged properties.
“The Cabinet Meeting resolved to strengthen efforts to mitigate natural disasters in the long term with special emphasis on environmental protection, infrastructure development and maintenance, organized settlement as well as improved agriculture practices,” the statement reads.
Cement shortage started arising early in April when the plant embarked on renovation and upgrading activities which would lead to the production of cement that will satisfy the market.
Since they started the plant renovation, cement supplies reduced, affecting the market prices. The cost of a 50kg bag increased from Rwf8700 to between Rwf12000 and Rwf13000 depending on the geographical location.
Speaking in a press conference on Monday, Cimerwa Chief Executive Officer, Bheki Mtembu said that renovation activities are about to be completed.
“We were replacing old machines enable us produce quantities that will satisfy the local market. Once activities are completed, we project to produce 500,000 tonnes and 600,000 tonnes per annum in 2020,” he explained.
He said that a ban on importation of some raw materials from Tanzania also affected production and prices.
“We used to import raw materials from Tanzania, but they banned their exportation, then we changed the direction and decided to import from United Arab Emirates which take us long trajectory and sometimes the trucks reach the plant very late,” he added.
Mtembu said that new machines will have installed capacity of producing more 15% from the current levels.
Prior to renovation and upgrading activities, Cimerwa had been producing 380,000 tonnes per annum.
