SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE — Gov. Fidele Ndayisaba, of the Southern Province has urged local leaders and development partners to adopt mechanisms that would lead to expeditious implementation of the Vision 2020 Umurenge.

The governor, who was addressing provincial authorities and development partners on Tuesday, said achieving Vision 2020 needs adopting what he called ‘quick means.’

Ndayisaba said that the government has allocated more money to ensure the success of the targeted programmes in every district.

Said Ndayisaba: "All districts are required to spend 50 percent of the government grant given through the Communal Development Fund (CDF). It is hoped that this will speed development in selected sectors."

The governor called upon development partners working with the government to align their interventions to programmes that will uplift the chosen Sectors.

Under the Vision 2020 Umurenge, the benefiting Sectors are Gishubi in Gisagara, Maraba in Huye, Nyarubaka in Kamonyi, Rugendabari in Muhanga and Kibumbwe in Nyanza.

Others are; Kibilizi in Nyamagabe, Rusenge in Nyaruguru and Mwendo in Ruhango.

The Sectors were chosen basing on their inadequacies in food security, access to water, health care, education and poor settlement patterns.

Ndayisaba stressed that emphasis should be put on agricultural development because statistics show that in the last five years the sector contributed between 33 – 37 percent of GDP, but the sector grew at an average of 0 percent in the same period.

The governor called upon development partners to support modern methods of farming through the use of fertilisers, improved seeds and the use of irrigation techniques in dry areas.

He urged farmers to optimally utilise the available land by focusing on quality production for the market and specialising in the cultivation of particular crops suitable for different geographical areas.

The Vision 2020 Umurenge is one of the three highlights of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). It is a five-year programme that was set up to steer the country’s development towards Vision 2020.

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