Efforts to prioritise infrastructure development last fiscal year played a key role in improving the lives of the population in Southern Province, Governor Alphonse Munyantwari said Wednesday. Munyantwari said during the 2012/13 fiscal year, focus was put on developing and constructing roads, electricity rollout, water piping and construction of classrooms, among others. The governor made the remarks while addressing the media on the implementation of last year’s budgetary allocations in the province, during a news conference at Muhanga District offices. In total, Munyantwari said, more than 27,000 households were connected to electricity during the 2012/13 fiscal year and efforts to connect others are still ongoing.  Dozens of kilometres of public lighting were also installed, with at least every district having lit its town, said the governor. Munyantwari said electricity access increased from 4 per cent to about 10 per cent over the year across the province. "This is a significant step that had never been made in the past for such a small period of time,” Munyantwari said, noting that electricity rollout has been prioritised because of its impact in transforming livelihood. More than 380 biogas digesters were also installed, he added.New water infrastructures, serving over 100 000 residents, were also constructed across the eight districts that make up the Southern Province, according to the governor. New roads, especially those linking villages to major roads, were also created while the existing ones were improved.  Munyantwari noted that infrastructure development will remain a key element in the development of the province over the next fiscal year. Amongst the planned activities over the next year, include the construction of tarmac roads in Butare town’s central business district–commonly known as Icyarabu–and surroundings areas. The nine-kilometre road network will be complete in six months, according to the district mayor, Eugene Kayiranga Muzuka. The roads, which are full of potholes, had for long been considered a serious challenge to the redevelopment of the town which was previously considered the second largest city after the capital Kigali.