The media should play a significant role in encouraging the public to save, but they should also lead the way.

The Director of Pensions and Occupational Hazards at Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), Oswald Munyandekwe, said that youth must control or forego certain luxuries to put some money aside for their future.

"Over weekends, especially at the end of the month, most are in bars spending almost what they worked for the whole month. What about the time when you will not be earning that salary?” Munyandekwe asked.

He was addressing journalists during a workshop aimed at building their capacity to sensitise and encourage the public to save in preparation for retirement.

"In the 70s, some employees could earn as little as Rwf 5,000 and they could survive on that. Today, some people earn over Rwf 700,000 per month but, still, its difficult for them to save, which is due to uncontrolled spending,” he said.

The Chairman of the Association of Retired Persons, Andre Gisagara, said that although it may seem tasking, people should save since none has a premonition of what the next day holds.

"When people save and plan properly for what they have to do in their old age, they are not afraid of that time; and they will even retire before time,” Gisagara said.

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