Rwanda-DRC to revive Joint Permanent Commission

• Gahakwa appointed ISAR boss KIGALI - Just a few days after President Paul Kagame’s historical meeting with his DRC counterpart, Joseph Kabila, the two are now planning to revive the Joint Permanent Commission for cooperation between the two countries. According to a press release of a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Kagame at Urugwiro Village, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminali, told the cabinet that preparations are underway to revive the Joint Permanent Commission in a meeting that will be held soon. Meanwhile, the former Minister of Education, Daphrose Gahakwa, was appointed the Director General of Rwanda Institute of Scientific and Agricultural Research (ISAR). Cabinet also appointed Ignatius Kabagambe, the former Managing Editor of The New Times, as the Director General in the Ministry of Information while Jean Claude Mvuyikongo was seconded as Rwanda’s candidate to the post of Executive Secretary at the North Corridor: Transit Transport Coordination Authority. GDP shortfall The Minister of Finance James Musoni announced a 1.7% shortfall in the country’s GDP in the first half of the year. Musoni said that the initial GDP projection in the first half of the year was at 7% but by the end of June, GDP was standing at 5.3%. He explained that the shortfall was brought about by the global financial crisis. During the same Cabinet meeting, the State Minister in the Ministry of Local Government Christine Nyatanyi said that the secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disabilities requested Rwanda to be its ambassador since Rwanda has registered tremendous progress in promoting the rights of the disabled. Cabinet backed and approved the proposal Ends