Senators urge residents to start saving schemes

NORTHERN PROVINCE MUSANZE — Senators on the Political and Good Governance Standing Committee have advised local authorities to mobilise residents to adopt a saving culture through joint collective saving schemes, in order to overcome poverty. The Senators are on a country-wide tour to assess the progress of Public- Private Sector Partnership, under what is called the Joint Action Forum (JAF). Their tour aims at getting first hand information from authorities on whether there is concrete partnership among JAF members, and find out their achievements and the existing challenges. Speaking during a meeting with the JAF members in the Musanze District on Tuesday, the committee chairman Joseph Karemera, observed that activities to accelerate rapid economic development require a good private-public partnership which needs urgent attention. He urged JAF to sensitise residents about potential investment initiatives. While in Kinigi Sector, the Senators warned farmers to avoid unscrupulous middlemen, whose intention is to make abnormal profits at their expense. The lawmakers commended the local authorities for the collective effort of forming profit oriented microfinance and cooperative societies, which they said is the best avenue to attain the country’s Vision 2020. Ends