Performance contracts during this fiscal year will focus mainly on programs and activities with robust impact on socio-economic transformation of Rwandans.

According to the resolutions from a two- day meeting that ended yesterday, it was agreed that emphasis is put on areas that will have a great impact to the wellbeing of the people.

The meeting, which brought together local government officials, agreed that all the social protection services are coordinated at the local level for effective and efficient management of available resources and enhance service delivery to vulnerable people.

Closing the forum, the Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, commended the leaders for their efforts in promoting socio-economic transformation of the people.

"We carried out an analysis of what has been going on in as far as performance contracts are concerned, and we all agreed on that this time. We reached a stage where we will focus on programs that will have an impact on the social economic transformation of our people and the communities,” he disclosed.

Musoni added that the budget had been approved and the leaders had the capacity to plan and channel resources to areas that will have significant impact on the wellbeing of Rwandans.

He stated that the meeting focused on social sector development and identified some areas that need special attention, including vulnerable genocide survivors, historically marginalised groups, people with disabilities and elderly people with low incomes.

"This time, we have decentralised the budget to districts to reach these people,” he added.

"We are going to work with the communities and make sure that these groups are given due attention.”

The Minister called upon the local leaders to ensure that the upcoming 2011/2012 performance contracts are well developed with smart objectives capable of leading Rwanda towards the realisation of Vision 2020.

Speaking to The New Times, the Southern Province Governor, Alphonse Munyentwari, said that his province has, so far, achieved its performance targets.

"We have registered successes in agriculture, the harvests have almost doubled this year,” he said.

The meeting also discussed food security in the country and post harvest management, education, gender and family promotion programs, forestation and road maintenance.

The leaders resolved to put more efforts towards promotion of children’s rights, gender and enforcement of discipline in schools.

They also pledged to embrace the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in their daily activities and to take advantage of the existing ICT infrastructure for the promotion of e-governance and economic development.

At the end of the meeting, leaders agreed on guidelines for better preparation of the 2011/2012 performance contacts and set up mechanisms for proper monitoring and evaluation in the coming years.

Ends