Institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Local Government and Social Affairs (MINALOC) have been urged to enhance service delivery as they signed performance contracts benchmarking their targets for the year ahead.

Presiding over the signing ceremony in Kigali, yesterday, the Minister of State for Socio-Economic Development, Vincent Munyeshyaka, urged the local government leaders to take the contracts seriously and work toward achieving their goals, which he said were realistic.

"The performance contracts are all about governance, service delivery and social protection. This is a commitment that we have all made and we have agreed to meet the required targets, but to do that, we must first work together,” he said.

Munyeshyaka urged the leaders to put in more effort in fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted in them and do follow up with their respective institutions.

"It is evident that in many institutions we need close follow up on asset management. This year is going to be special, as this is when we have to achieve the set goals and then set new ones and also ensure that Sustainable Development Goals are accomplished,” the minister said.

New PS assumes office

Meanwhile, at the same event, Munyeshyaka handed over the MINALOC permanent secretary post to his successor Odette Uwamariya, who pledged quality service delivery, "with citizens at the centre.”

Munyeshyaka was until his recent appointment as state minister the PS at MINALOC.

Uwamariya, the outgoing governor of Eastern Province, said she takes the new job as a mission continued from her previous assignment.

"Only that this is like an expanded mission but I believe, together with the team in place, we shall deliver. I have the experience, especially in coordination, so I don’t have any doubts. We need to focus and see that the little resources at our disposal are optimally deployed and I believe that meeting our targets is possible with a well coordinated team,” she said.

Presiding over the handover ceremony, Alvera Mukabaramba, the state minister in charge of social affairs and social protection at MINALOC, said the new docket of socio-economic development will champion development programmes that are inclusive.

"We have up to five institutions affiliated to the ministry that are responsible for social affairs and social protection; this is a vast area. The other issue of managing employees is something so vital. We are determined to see that we fulfill our responsibilities,” she said.

Mukabaramba urged leaders to keep open communication to ease the ministry’s efforts in providing homegrown solutions.

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