KIGALI - The United Kingdom has pledged UK £330 million (Approx Rwf 317 billion) to Rwanda as financial support for the next four years.

Rwanda is among the 27 countries in the world that will still receive British aid. "It is a grant and part of the money will be channeled through sector support, budget support, and financing of programmes among others,” said Finance Minister, John Rwangombwa.

The Minister noted that the funding represents a steady increase in UK aid to Rwanda.

British funding to Rwanda will rise from £60 million in 2010-11 to £90 million in 2014-15.UK is the leading donor country to Rwanda.

A statement announcing the British financial support to Rwanda, indicates that the UK’s commitment to continue providing significant proportion of its aid directly to the Rwanda is in recognition of the large-scale results this can deliver.

Elizabeth Carriere the Head of the British Department for International Development (DfID) Rwanda said that her country recognises Rwanda’s tremendous achievements over the recent year in growth and poverty reduction.

"…But it is also true that Rwanda still faces considerable challenges in reducing poverty and protecting the most vulnerable, reducing maternal mortality and achieving wealth creation through private sector investment that will eventually lift most of Rwandans out of poverty,” Carriere said, in the statement.

She added that; "In recognition of the vision, drive and delivery of results which the Rwanda is demonstrating, we are increasing our aid programme to achieve even better outcomes for Rwandans,”

The announcement follows the Bilateral Aid Review carried out by the UK Government over the last few months which aimed at determining the countries where UK should retain a DfID bilateral presence.

The UK aid programme will focus in the areas of education, health, social protection and agriculture.

The sector budget support to education will improve quality and extend access to nine-year basic education, enabling more than 29,000 pupils to pass the basic education leaving exam, of the 360,000 targeted by the Government.

"DFID’s sector budget support in health will help to tackle the most off-track MDGs (maternal and child mortality), including funding skilled health personnel to attend over 57,000 births by 2014-15,” the statement reads. 

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