Weekly Review

Budget unveiledRwanda’s fiscal expenditure is projected to rise by 7.6 percent in the next fiscal year, Finance Minister, John Rwangobwa, said as he unveiled the 2011/12 budget, which also entails slashing fuel levies to contain inflationary pressures and cushion the economy against external shocks amidst volatile global oil and food markets. While presenting the budget to Parliament, Rwangombwa highlighted that Rwanda’s ability to cope with the spill-over effects of the global economic and financial situation, which looks uncertain with several macroeconomic risks will remain the key objectives of the country’s economic policy in the coming fiscal year. US company to introduce environmentally-friendly stovesEnviro Fuels Manufacturing Inc, a company based in Florida, USA will soon introduce environmentally friendly fuel cooking stoves. The company’s president and CEO, Larry Hunt, said this on Thursday after demonstrating the efficiency of the stoves to various stakeholders in the energy sector. The stove is designed to burn coal in an environmentally sensitive, cost effective, and efficient way. It is easy to use and enables people to prepare daily meals quickly using familiar cooking methods. Hunt explained that the Enviro Fuels Stove produces burner temperatures in excess of 500 degrees Celsius while it remains safe to the touch and water boils in as few as nine minutes. The stove is designed to light with a match. Rwandans urged to donate bloodThe National Centre for Blood Transfusion (NCBT) called upon Rwandans to donate blood to save lives, ahead of the International blood day which takes place on June 14, 2011 every year. In Rwanda, the day will be celebrated in Karongi District, Western Province under the theme ‘More blood more life’. Speaking to The New Times on Thursday, the Director General of the centre, Florent Senyana, said that the Week aims at creating wider awareness of the vital role of blood transfusion in saving lives and improving the health of people. Senyana added that the blood donating activities will take place at all NCBT, facilities around the country throughout the week.The centers are Rwamagana, Musanze, Kigali, Huye and Karongi. He pointed out that the country needs about 40,000 blood units annually. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 90 million units of blood are donated each year. Diaspora forms mortgage group.As a way of playing their role in development of the country, nationals living in Europe initiated the “Rwanda Diaspora Mortgage Group” to create more business opportunities in the country. This implies that instead of one person getting mortgage facilities from banks, it will be a group to access the facility, which they say, will increase the capital flow from abroad, in the long term. According to Peterson Sentenga, the Group’s leader, various banks had already expressed interest in funding the initiative.He noted that although many will be looking for residential mortgages, some have already expressed interest in exploring commercial mortgage opportunities. In an interview, Ignatius Mugabe, the chairman of the Rwandan Community in the UK, welcomed the initiative noting that the more organized the Diaspora becomes, the more they stand to benefit from and contribute to Rwanda’s development process. Govt launches environment campaign in NyabihuThe government has launched a countrywide clean and green environment promotion in Nyabihu district aimed at enforcing personal and household sanitation. The Minister of Defence, General James Kabarebe, who officially launched the campaign, said that the objective is to ensure Rwandans live a hygienic life after the eradication of thatched houses (Nyakatsi). The campaign precedes the just concluded week-long crusade to protect forests.In promoting a green environment, the public is encouraged to plant trees, control soil erosion, and plant grass in their compounds. Ends