Officials from the Eastern Province have been challenged to embark on projects that address the needs of the population.The call was made during a one-day meeting by government officials, to assess the performance contracts for the Eastern Province for 2013-2014.The function in Rwamagana town was attended among others by ministers Silas Lwakabamba of Infrastructure and Stella Ford Mugabo of Cabinet Affairs among others.The issue of water scarcity, insufficient electricity and poor infrastructure amenities like roads, featured among the many challenges the government officials discussed.Lwakabamba challenged district leaders to make long term plans for infrastructure development."You must come up with short and long term plans. This is when we can identify for instance, priority roads to construct,” Lwakabamba said.Egide Rugamba, the Director General of Planning, MINALOC, reiterated the need to create more favourable living conditions of citizens and promote sustainable human development, through performance contracts that reflect the needs of communities."We have to strengthen strategic solutions and support sustainable local economic development. There is already an enabling environment enough to foster economic development, so go for people based projects,” he said."That is the essence of performance contracts…to increase productivity in agriculture and farming for example.”Odette Uwamariya, the Provincial Governor applauded the government’s support and vowed to push the province further towards delivering the EDPRS 2 programmes.She said that the districts were set to embrace mechanised agriculture, adding that they have to feed agro-processing plants like the soya industry based in Kayonza."We work closely with the central government and the private sector…we are moving fast to tackle the macro-development projects that have been in the pipe line,” she said.