IGIHE

Tag: HomeNews

  • Regional Police Urged to Combat Cross-Border Crimes

    {{The Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana has advised regional police officers to fight cross-border crimes and those related to computer technology.}}

    Gasana was speaking at the launch of a two -day East African Police Chief Cooperation Organizations (EAPCCO) subcommittee meeting, which he also chairs.

    He noted that police force ought to equip themselves with skills on latest technology since the majority of crimes emerge from use of ICT.

    Francis Rwego, the head of Interpol in the region, agreed with Gasana that the use of ICT would facilitate information sharing among the police forces in the region in fighting crimes.

    “Nowadays people with ill intentions are using technology to conduct cyber crimes, duplication money, human trafficking and terrorism that’s why we need to cooperate to curb these offences.

    The EAPCCO subcommittees include Permanent Coordination Committees made up of the heads of Criminal Investigation Departments and heads of National Central Bureaus (NCBs), legal, training, and Gender subcommittees.

    These committees are set to discuss the progress in the implementation of the 13th EAPCCO Annual General Meeting resolutions, challenges and way forward. The outcome of the two day meeting will be forwarded to the Committee of Police Chiefs.

    EAPCCO was formed in 1998, as follow up to regionalization policy, adopted by the INTERPOL executive committee in 1985. It was confirmed by the Interpol General Assembly in 1995 as an effective way of improving international Police cooperation in combating transnational crime and criminals.

    EAPCCO objectives are stipulated in article 3 of its constitution as primarily combating cross border crime though cooperation and collaboration, adoption of joint strategies, monitoring, information exchange and training.

    It is also responsible for crime situation reviews and meetings, legal and mutual assistance and legal harmonization and other activities that would enhance combating cross border crime.

    Currently EAPCCO is composed of twelve member countries and they include Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eretria, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan Tanzania and Uganda.

  • EWSA Boss Explains Frequent Power Cuts

    {{Yves Muyange the director general of Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) has noted that frequent power rationing in the city is due to the ongoing repairs of some equipment in various power plants.}}

    He noted that repair works at the Gikondo power plant and Jabana are scheduled for completion soon, “most of the machines were old causing periodical technical faults, hence we’re fixing new spare parts,” he explained.

    However, Muyange disclosed that power shortages wouldn’t end over night since even after the repair process is over; water levels at Rusizi power plant have reduced a fact that has led to the reduction of electricity production from 12 to 8 mega watts.

    “This is very common during dry seasons but no need to panic since we’re trying to come up with alternatives. That’s why we’re fixing our mega generators,” he remarked.

  • Dialogue To Discuss Land Challenges

    {{Following debates on land taxation rates, the Rwanda Institute of Sustainable Development (RISD) has announced its intentions to organise a dialogue aimed at discussing land related issues.}}

    According to a communiqué from RISD, “the dialogue is in line with evaluating implementation of land reforms through discussions of land lease and land taxation,” the statement reads in part.

    The dialogue will attract experts from LandNet, a local network involving relevant stakeholders dealing with land issues in the country.

    Peter Bazimya, a specialist on land issues has on frequent occasions highlighted that land taxation is an area where urban planners have no action or even no interest because, in general, local taxation on land and rent is imposed mostly to raise revenues for the municipality, and most people think that it has nothing to do with planning.

    He adds that land taxation has a lot of impact on land use because it gives an incentive or disincentive to keep or sell land, “High land tax will force some obsolete industries, like old factories or old warehouses, to leave the city or at least to leave the center of the city and go to the suburbs.”

    Bazimya further explains that in this case, it’s not the action of the planner that is changing land use; it is the price of land and the taxation on land.

    “So taxation can be used to reform land use in a city. It might be a more useful and efficient tool in bringing about more efficient land use than just drawing a plan with color and saying “this is industry” and “this is residential. Very often it is really the tax and the land prices which will change land use, not the colors on the master plans.”

  • Man Promises Wife Never to Booze Again

    {{A father has sworn never to booze anymore after he drunk himself silly, lost his senses and causing panic in the family.}}

    In a true story and not fiction as it might sound, Gaspard Nsabimana 45 a local taxi driver resident in Muhima normally retires home late every evening. After a days work, he enjoys a few beers with friends before finally returning home.

    He is married to Agatha with whom they have a son of 4 years named Sebastian.

    However, on 8th February, Nsabimana and wife woke up to the shock of their lives when they could not see their son in the house.

    Earlier on 7th February Nsabimana woke up at 6am and left for routine work. Before he left, he told his wife that he would return home at 5pm to take Sebastian to saloon for a hair shave. Nsabimana had been promising his son a hair cut since the previous weekend.

    One of Nsabimana’s monthly clients paid him that afternoon and headed straight at home at 5pm to pick up his son. He dropped his son at a local saloon located at Kinamba. Nsabimana also waited at a nearby bar having a few beers.

    Unfortunately Nsabimana drunk himself silly before the son was done with the hair cut. He continued drinking and forgot all about the son until wee hours of the night.

    However, Nsabimana’s wife retired to bed before father and son returned but though the son had been put to bed by the father. Nsabimana arrived at 1:00AM while the wife was already asleep. When she woke up in the morning, she noticed that only her husband was sleeping where their son’s bed.

    Nsabimana’s wife screamed endlessly attracting local residents in the area. She physically kicked her husband demanding he gets out of the house to find their son.

    Nsabimana was in shock himself and could not believe that he had forgotten his own son. He said it must have been the housemaid who was with their son that she normally took him along for walks whenever she went for shopping.

    The couple waited for the maid to return as neighbors attempted to calm the wife that was already swearing and threatening to harm her husband bodily if she didn’t locate their son as soon as possible.

    However, a local electrician identified as Lando Bizimana a neighbor and friend Nsabimana narrated to IGIHE.com how the child was found with his help.

    As he was leaving home in the morning, he heard the commotion only to find his friend surrounded by people and an enraged wife. When Nsabimana explained to Bizimana what had happened,Bizimana reminded his friend that he had called him at midnight inviting him for a drink.

    “I would have gone but I was tired. I remember him telling me that he was waiting for his son who was getting a hair cut at a saloon next to the bar.I found it strange that his son was getting a hair cut at that hour but didn’t mention it. So Nsabimana immediately remembered where the son was after listening to me”.

    Nsabimana and Bizimana immediately drove off without telling anyone including his wife and returned an hour later with the boy in the backseat of the car, unharmed with a shiny bald head.

    Nsabimana humbly apologised and thanked those that had kept his son for their generosity and paid twice the amount for the hair cut.

    Nsabimana told everybody that he swears to cut off from the booze for he has learnt his lesson.

  • Man Arrested Bribing Police

    {{Gentil Rugwiro, a 23 year old man, was arrested while bribing police with Frw70,000 on Tuesday during the Driving license Tests conducted at Gakinjiro.}}

    Rugwiro said, “After emerging successful in the ‘parking’ test, waiting for ‘demarrage’, I tried to give Frw 70,000 to a policeman though remarking that I am likely to be jailed for I did it publicly.”

    Rugwiro had been a shopkeeper before embarking on the search for a driving License to become a car driver.

    Police Spokesman Supretendent Theos Badege says, “We want to fight the culture of corruption by sensitising citizens that good service delivery is their right.” He noted that for people failing in driving license tests, corruption is not the solution.

  • 5 Held Over Domestic Theft

    {{Gisozi police is holding Valentin Mugabo, Eric Siboniyo, Samuel Nyandwi, Jean Baptiste Munyaneza and Chrysostome Murengerantwari in connection with domestic theft.
    The incident happened at Kadobogo village, Kagugu cell, Kinyinya sector in Gasabo district.}}

    Valentin Mugabo, 25 and Eric Siboniyo, 24, a taxi conductor are suspected of stealing domestic items while the three others are accused of buying the stolen materials.

    Only Mugabo confessed to the offense saying that they steal places where they are oriented.

    He says, “ I used to work in a home and the gatekeeper told us that they own electronic materials and that home proprietors are not around; he gave us a key and stole TV; CD and DVD reader and amplifier.

    Eric Siboniyo says that he did not steal but he kept materials which he did not know had been stolen.

    Samuel Nyandwi, Jean Baptiste Munyaneza and Chrysostome Murengerantwari are arrested for having bought stolen.

    Samuel Nyandwi, a 41 year old resident in Kicukiro bought the stolen Television set. He urges the general public to be cautious when buying such items, “people should not buy items without a receipt; if they want to buy a material out of a shop, they should ask the authorities to approve it.”

    The police spokesman, Supt. Theos Badege, said that it is not good to buy materials out of shops for they may have many risks to the customer.

  • Survey On Poverty Levels Today

    {{Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning(MINECOFIN) is scheduled to present a survey on poverty levels carried out in conjunction with the National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR)}}.

    The presentation of the new survey will update the public and development partners about the progress of government’s first phase of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) ending this year.

    The survey which will be launched by MINECOFIN at the ceremony to be attended by present Paul Kagame, will represent the international benchmarks for measuring poverty.

    It has indicated that poverty has dropped by 11.8 percent since 2006 which also indicates six times reduction rate as compared to the rate between the year 2000 to 2006, according to the third Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey.

    The findings which were reviewed by a panel of international experts and supported by all key donors, indicate that over 200,000 households, equivalent to one million people, have emerged from poverty since 2006.

    It also indicates that 45 percent of the 10.7 million population are still under the poverty line as compared to 57 percent five years ago.

    Also to be launched today is the fourth Demographic and Health Survey (DHS4) which indicates that infant and maternal mortality rates have declined by 41 and 35 percent respectively.

    The survey further indicates double growth in secondary school enrolment – among other achievements since 2006; all attributed to home-grown solutions with programmes such as Mutuelle de Sante, Nine-Year Basic Education and Once Cow per Family programmes playing a vital role.

    {{ENDS}}

  • Africa Loses Billions In Potential Trade Earnings-Report

    {{African countries are losing billions of dollars in potential trade earnings every year due to high trade barriers with neighboring countries, a new World Bank report has indicated.}}

    The report has indicated that it is easier for Africa to trade with the rest of the world than within itself.

    However African leaders are now calling for a continental free trade area by 2017 to boost trade within the continent.

    According to the new report De-Fragmenting Africa: Deepening Regional Trade Integration in Goods and Services regional fragmentation could become even more costly for the continent with new World Bank forecasts suggesting that economic slowdown in the Eurozone could shave Africa’s growth by up to 1.3 percentage points this year.

    As the authors write, “while uncertainty surrounds the global economy and stagnation is likely to continue in traditional markets in Europe and North America, enormous opportunities for cross-border trade within Africa in food products, basic manufactures and services remain unexploited.”

    The reports says this situation deprives the continent of new sources of economic growth, new jobs, and sharply falling poverty, factors which accompanied significant trade integration in East Asia and other regions.

    The cross-border production networks that have spurred economic dynamism in other regions, especially East Asia, have yet to materialize in Africa.

    “It is clear that Africa is not reaching its potential for regional trade, despite the fact that its benefits are enormous—they create larger markets, help countries diversify their economies, reduce costs, improve productivity and help reduce poverty.” says Obiageli Oby Ezekwesili, The World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, and a former Nigerian Minister of Extractive Industries.

    “Yet trade and non-trade barriers remain significant and fall most heavily and disproportionately on poor traders, most of whom are women. African leaders must now back aspiration with action and work together to align the policies, institutions and investments needed to unblock these barriers and to create a dynamic regional market on a scale worthy of Africa’s one billion people and its roughly $2 trillion economy.”

    The report says that until the onset of the financial crisis, most sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries grew rapidly and often at much higher rates than the world average.

    Economic growth in these countries was robust and driven by the boom in commodity prices, which led to very high growth in export values, especially for minerals, to new fast-growing markets such as India and China.

    While exports have grown strongly over the last decade, and the region’s trade has recovered well from the global crisis, the impact on unemployment and poverty has been disappointing in many countries.

    Unemployment remains around 24 percent in South Africa. In Tanzania, extreme income-poverty appears to have remained broadly constant at around 35 percent of the population.

    This shows that export growth has typically been fueled by a small number of mineral and primary products with limited impacts on the wider economy and that formal sectors remain small in many countries.

    As a result, the report suggests that Africa will have to diversify its exports from depending solely on precious metals and other commodities and encourage more people to trade goods and professional services in accounting, law, education, healthcare, among others.

    The region’s large number of young people also calls for significant numbers of new jobs, intensive trade, and growth.

    “Imagine the benefits of allowing African doctors, nurses, teacher, engineers and lawyers to practice anywhere in the continent, but responsibility for making this happen lies with countries first and foremost,” says Marcelo Giugale, the World Bank’s Africa Director for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management.

    “The final prize is clear: helping Africans trade goods and services with each other. Few contributions carry more development power than that.”

    {{Changes needed}}

    Improving cross-border trade, especially by small poor traders, many of whom are women, by simplifying border procedures, limiting the number of agencies at the border and increasing the professionalism of officials, supporting traders associations, improving the flow of information on market opportunities, and assisting in the spread of new technologies such as cross-border mobile banking that improve access to finance.

    Removing a range of non-tariff barriers to trade, such as restrictive rules of origin, import and export bans, and onerous and costly import and export licensing procedures.

    Reforming regulations and immigration rules that limit the substantial potential for cross-border trade and investment in services.

    To escape the current straightjacket of trade fragmentation, the report says that African leaders, most of whom will attend this week’s regional integration summit in Ethiopia hosted by the African Union, need to pursue changes in three key areas.

    World Bank intends to increase investment in the regional integration as a way for sustainable growth in the new Africa strategy launched 2011.

    The bank is expected to increase the investment by US$5.7 billion July 2012 from US$2.1 billion in 2008 and US$4.2 billion in July 2011.

    {{ENDS}}

  • Kigali City Establishes Motocycle Taxi Parking Zones

    {{Kigali city authorities have established 53 Motor cycle taxi parking areas in major zones of the city. This move will curb the previous haphazard parking of motorcycle taxis that kept the Traffic police and Motorcyclists in a chase game.}}

    The head of Nyarugenge based Motorcycle association, KOTARATAMONYA Mbarushimana Daniel says the new changes will reduce on the misunderstandings motorcyclists have been having with the Traffic Police.

    Motorcycles will always park in a line and passengers will always use the motorcycle in queue. However, previously motorcyclists would scramble for passengers resulting into disputes and sometimes injuring the passengers in the process.

    More parking areas are expected to be established in and around the city areas.

  • New Bus Terminal to Open in April

    {{Construction of a modern bus terminal in Kigali City centre will be completed by the end of April 2012. Eng. Semitari Vedaste Sehene in charge of construction at the site told IGIHE.com.}}

    The construction technicians at the site told IGIHE.com that the expected tasks will be complete within two months.

    “You can see that the place for buses is finished and we are remaining with roads which will be built by CO-TRACO.” the constructors said adding that routes are shorter enough, measuring 345 m, to be finished within a month.

    Eng. Nyirihene Semitari said that all activities are not assigned to the company he heads except car parking rows, roads and water caves.

    He said, “I am the engineer subcontracted for construction activities at the site. I am sure I will be done with my activities by the end of April. Other activities are reserved for FBW that will use machines.

    The terminal will open doors to the public for use by May said Hatari Sekoko, the head of Doyelcy Company that won the tender on to handle the construction.

    Construction of buildings in the terminal are supposed to be finished within three years.