AfDB/IDA grants get nod from House

The government has received a green light by the lower Chamber of Parliament to go ahead and receive social welfare improvement grants from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Development Agency (IDA). An extra-ordinary session seating yesterday unanimously passed the bills that were left pending during the end of the parliamentary business of 2009. The lawmakers passed a bill that allowed a grant from the AfDB to provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation in different parts of the country They also endorsed a financial grant worth US$ 4m from IDA for the improvement of the health sector. During the revision of the preamble documents, the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, explained that the grants will be used to improve the social welfare of rural population. MP Faith Mukakalisa castigated the private sector for doing little in helping the government provide services to the population. “Over 64,000 people will access clean water once 450 channels of water are completed” said Minister Nsanzabaganwa In a related development, a bill on compensation of victims of stray animals from Akagera National Park will be reviewed today. Under this bill, the government plans to set up a special guarantee fund from which people will be compensated on the losses caused by wild animals. It will also demarcate the new boundaries of park. Nsanzabaganwa was earlier put to task by Parliament to explain why the government had delayed in compensating families who had lost property and lives as a result of attacks by animals straying from Akagera National Park. At the time, the lawmakers rejected the Ministers presentation of the governments roadmap on the protection of the population and their property saying they had received the report late. On the issue of why two years down the road, aggrieved families were still stuck with death or injury complaints, Nsanzabaganwa explained that the government has categorized the compensation in three sections and payments made. Compensation is classified in three sections and is issued in three formulas: The first one is compensation to the family that has lost a loved one, the second is transport and medical costs plus some money to those who have been injured, and the third is burial arrangements, she explained. The extraordinary session is expected to last one week and more bills are expected to be tabled in both the Lower Chamber and the Senate. Ends