WB pledges more support to Rwanda

The World Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Rwanda’s development agenda.The pledge was made yesterday by visiting World Bank Executive Director Denny Kalyalya during a meeting with Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi. The meeting, also attended by the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete, discussed the Bank’s funding and implementation of various projects it sponsors in Rwanda.Strengthening tiesKalyalya’s visit is aimed at strengthening relations between Rwanda and the World Bank.“The idea of my coming is to get the firsthand impression of what is going on, the development challenges Rwanda is facing and the opportunities going forward,” Kalyalya told the media.He is in charge of Rwanda and 21 other countries in Africa on four boards of the World Bank Group; the International DevelopmentAssociation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, International Finance Corporation and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development which fund key projects in different sectors in the country.“I will be visiting some of the projects that the Bank has been supporting in the country,” Kalyalya said.He said Rwanda has been doing well in terms of sustained economic growth and that the macro situation was stable.“Rwanda is globally known for using aid effectively. The accountability is impressive so we need to find a way of strengthening the relationship between the country as a whole, both public and private sector, and the World Bank,” he said.MomentousAmb. Gatete said the visiting official was involved with all the funding Rwanda receives from the Bank.“He was behind all the money we received this year like the $50 million for social protection, $50 million for decentralisation and $60 million for electricity projects,” Amb. Gatete said.He said Kalyalya assured government of more funding next year.“Rwanda will receive $45 million in June for agriculture, $70 million for social protection, and more for energy and demobilisation,” Amb. Gatete said.“The total portfolio in the 24 projects is around $1.2 billion, which is significant budget support that will help us in our development programme for the coming years,” he added.He is scheduled to meet other officials to discuss the implementation of various projects before he winds up his visit on Wednesday.Kalyalya was voted as World Bank Group Executive Board Member in October, last year, during the Bank’s annual International Monetary Fund meeting in Tokyo, Japan.The Washington DC, US-based Zambian economist represents 22 countries on the Board, including the East African Community countries, Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia and LesothoOthers are Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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WB pledges more support to Rwanda