A team of experts from Singapore’s consultancy firm, Future-Moves Group, is in the country to assess the kind of infrastructure needed in the development of Rwanda’s secondary cities.

The secondary cities that the country is developing are Muhanga, Rubavu, Rusizi, Nyagatare, Huye and Musanze.

The team, on Sunday, held a meeting with officials from Rwanda Governance Board (RGB).

Addressing a news briefing, RGB chief executive Anastase Shyaka said the experts will help them come up with a long-term plan for the features and vital infrastructure needed for the secondary cities.

RGB started partnership with Future-Moves Group about a year-and-a-half ago.

In the first stage, the partnership involved building the capacities of RGB management and its partners in terms of strategic foresight, a long-term vision aimed at sustainable development by predicting future prospects.

Prof. Shyaka said in the new move, "we want the support of the experts on how good governance and service delivery can be a catalyst of the development of secondary cities for our desired economy.”

Prof. Shyaka said in the country’s five year-planning, it is necessary that at least 35 per cent of the population in the concerned districts live in those cities.

Devadas Krishnadas, the chief executive of Future-Moves Group, said good governance should be taken into account in the development of secondary cities.

Krishnadas said good governance and service delivery can stimulate rapid development of secondary cities.

"Building institutions, value systems which will continue to inform and guide governance decisions toward the long-term future of Rwanda is a very important strategy, which I think Rwanda can learn from Singapore,” he said.

Krishnadas said secondary cities should be able to improve welfare and development of their inhabitants through having employment opportunities.

Assessing the cities

Development of secondary cities is in the framework of extending opportunities to more Rwandans.

Prof. Shayaka said for a week, they will visit all the six cities talking to various officials to exchange ideas on how the opportunities at their disposal can be enhanced and made use of to generate incomes.

Each secondary city to develop based on area potential.

Prof. Shyaka said the Singaporean experts will help them understand which particularity each of the six cities should have and focus on in a bid to accelerate its development and that of the country in general.

"Our contribution is to help with economic analysis, plan analysis and to advise on what will be most appropriate for each of the cities that we will be visiting,” Krishnadas said, adding that ambitious goals should go in tandem with realistic plans to achieve them.

Krishnadas said there is need for participation of residents in identifying their priorities for sustainable secondary cities development.

On April 6, Rwanda received $95 million (about Rwf72.3 billion) funding from World Bank’s International Development Association to support the country’s urbanisation strategy, with emphasis on the development of basic infrastructure in the six secondary cities.

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