• Says uniting resources in 2009 key to more success President Paul Kagame has hailed the country’s achievements in the last year and called on Rwandans to work even harder to meet challenges ahead. Delivering his traditional New Years’ message to the nation last night, Kagame urged the nation to focus on making their country self-reliant and to utilise the resources at their disposal to propel the country forward. He pointed out that the only way to compete fairly on the world market was to embrace new technologies that would add value to Rwandan products.
• Says uniting resources in 2009 key to more success
President Paul Kagame has hailed the country’s achievements in the last year and called on Rwandans to work even harder to meet challenges ahead.
Delivering his traditional New Years’ message to the nation last night, Kagame urged the nation to focus on making their country self-reliant and to utilise the resources at their disposal to propel the country forward.
He pointed out that the only way to compete fairly on the world market was to embrace new technologies that would add value to Rwandan products.
The President thanked the population for the positive attitude it showed towards development in 2008, which he said was generally a peaceful year and encouraged them to show the same resilience in 2009.
He advised them to ignore those determined to derail the development of the country and instead concentrate on how each can positively contribute towards the development of the nation and the well being of the people.
The President said 2009 should be the year to embrace technology, especially ICT based innovations in the agricultural sector, a major backbone of the economy, to double output through applying modern farming practices.
The President also highlighted the need to utilise land productively especially through organised settlements such as community villages, which among other things eases the process to deliver services such as health, clean water, communication and other social amenities to the people.
The New Year message also called on people to get more involved in the 2009 Performance Contracts, saying that they not the sole concern of leaders.
He pointed out that if development was to take root, then each Rwandan should have an individual performance contract to supplement what their leaders have in place.
Kagame advised people to adopt a saving culture to prepare for the future by utilising the banks and savings cooperatives , andto cultivate a spirit of unity and the habit of pooling resources saying that it is a source of strength because individualism does not provide a channel to success.
The President pledged more support to investors in 2009 and also called upon Rwandans to think beyond national borders into the larger East African Community and the Regional Market.
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