Over 100 Genocide survivors benefit from loan waivers

Local commercial banks have, so far, waived loans amounting to over Rwf 76 million which children whose parents perished during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi had acquired. Speaking to The New Times yesterday, the Executive Secretary of the Fund for the Support of Genocide Survivors (FARG), Theophile Ruberangeyo, said the identification of the genocide survivors with loans started in 2000 and several banks agreed to waive the loans.“As stipulated in the FARG law, every survivor whose parent or relatives had loans in banks should be exempted,” said Ruberangeyo. Among the banks that shed-off the loans are the Commercial Bank of Rwanda (BCR) that exempted over Rwf 31 million owed by14 people, Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) pardoned 74 people with over Rwf23 million and Bank of Kigali (BK) Rwf 12.4 million from two people. Rwanda Development (BRD) waived over Rwf4 million for three people, among others.Ruberangeyo further added that his office is still receiving more cases of loan claims. The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), Jean de Dieu Mucyo, observed that the initiative was commendable, saying it was a relief to survivors. However, he noted that unresolved cases of property remain a big issue in his commission.According to CNLG, most of the cases petitioned to the commission involve guardians not handing over inherited property when children come of age.