NORTHERN PROVINCE

MUSANZE — Local leaders at all levels have been advised to involve locals in development activities and carry out regular evaluation to assess the programmes’ impact.

This was among the resolutions reached after the evaluation exercise of Northern Province districts’ performance. The performance are for the first quarter of 2008. The Prime Minister Bernard Makuza presided over the function held at Fatima Hotel Conference centre.

According to the resolutions, the results of impact assessment would be presented after the second quarter with clear statistics of people who have experienced change.

Speaking at the function, Premier Makuza called upon the leaders to expedite the implementation of the goals set out in performance contracts in order to influence change in the welfare of local communities and general development.

"This area is endowed with many opportunities; there is manpower, and the will. Coordination and resilience is what is needed to faster economic transformation,’’ Makuza said.

The function attracted several government ministers, provincial, district, religious, women and youth leaders. Others present included representatives of NGOs, army and police chiefs.

The prime minister asked leaders in the province to scale up the family planning campaign in order to prevent population explosion.

Protais Musoni, the minister of Local Government, urged residents to design measures to ensure that all resident stay in community villages (midugudu).

He said districts should learn from each other certain concepts and initiatives for economic revolution. The performance contracts are based on four development pillars of good governance, economic development, welfare and justice.

According to the statistics presented, Musanze district beat others while Gicumbi got second position. Rulindo and Gakenke districts fell in the third and fourth positions while Burera district trailed.

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