Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza has said that he will work on reducing Value Added Tax (VAT) as well as other taxes to ease trade and lower prices on the market.

This was during his second rally as presidential candidate in Kanjongo sector, Nyamasheke district where he rallied party  members.

Despite the low turn up, Habineza said he was optimistic Rwandans will find hope in him and will vote for him during elections.

For the last two rallies, the party has not got good turn up where between 200 and 400 people participated in the rallies.

"We are happy for the turn up is sufficient, I think it is our first time in the area and we mobilized some people, the best thing the number is good and the spirit is that the idea is moving hard, we are not discouraged by anything ,” he said.

"We will reduce Value Added Tax from 18 percent to 15 percent because the prices are high because of taxes, we will establish ways of harmonized taxes because we have many taxes which can be reduced if brought together,” he said.

He said prices are high on the market and this is due to the high taxes adding that some people opt to do business out of the country due to high taxes adding he wants to end this.

"It is now hard for Rwandans to do business because of high taxes, we want more people to venture into business and this can be done through lowering taxes,” he said.

He also said that the party will create more jobs and look for temporally jobs for those who cannot get their specific jobs, establish opportunities as well as helping them have access to other districts.

"We will help the youth get jobs upon completion, we will create job opportunities and link job seekers to clients, we will build you a modern boat that will help you access other districts such as Rubavu and others to boost trade and cooperation in the district,” he added.

He said that once elected, he will close all transit centres and promote normal ways of punishing criminals which are prisons.

"We also want competent courts so that good justice can be promoted, we want democracy to be sustainable, we want all Rwandans to live in harmony without conflicts and promote the unity and reconciliation for all of us,” Habineza told supporters.

Agroforestry and planting more trees to mitigate climate change effect, build roads and easy other transport means, promoting democracy and justice were also cited as one of ways he will use to improve lives once elected as president. Voters speak out

Voters in Nyamasheke said that the candidate has a good manifesto but added they will wait for other candidates to also present theirs to decide who to vote.

"We have a good leader (Kagame). So far and we have found nothing wrong with him, we have cows, have access to healthcare and our lives have changed in the past fewyears  thanks to him. Now that he is also in the competition, I think he still deserves a vote. However it is good that even we have other candidates who have a positive ideology,”  said Chantal Uwiragiye, a mother of four from Kanjongi sector in Rusizi district.

Rugira Pascal, another participant in the campaign said that the candidate has good manifesto which when implemented can boost social welfare of all Rwandans.

"There are more land issues which are attached to the current policy structure, we also have issues of unemployment especially among young graduates and the manifesto he presented is not far from solving the problems that is why I can vote for him. However even if he is not elected we are hopeful that such issues will be worked on by anyone else as they are pertinent,” said Rugira

Habineza, joined the presidential race as the sole  opposition candidate. Others are the incumbent president Paul Kagame from Rwanda Patriotic front (RPF) and Philippe Mpayimana who is the independent candidate.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw