Rwf1.6 billion earmarked for renovation of survivors houses

The Fund for the Assistance to Genocide Survivors (FARG) has set aside Rwf1.6 billion for the renovation of survivors’ houses that were built between 1999 and 2002, the fund’s Executive Secretary, Theophile Ruberangeyo, has said. According to Ruberangeyo, they are carrying out an assessment to ascertain the exact number of houses that need immediate attention, and emphasis will be put on the most vulnerable families.“We are at the moment collecting data and analysing which houses are to be rehabilitated and as soon as this exercise is over, we shall start the work,” Ruberangeyo said.He added that in the first phase of this financial year, they intend to refurbish about 4,500 but the plan is to renovate over 15,000 houses across the country.He called on survivors to own the process, and remain vigilant over the works by the contracted companies renovating their houses.“We want the survivors to own their houses, up to now the government through districts owned all houses constructed on public funds,” Ruberangeyo noted.Recently, FARG dragged to court 26 companies that had been contracted to build houses for vulnerable survivors but instead did shoddy work while others abandoned the projects unfinished.The contractors currently battling cases in the High Court are supposed to refund close to Rwf 598.3 million which the government lost in the process.Ruberangeyo recently said that some companies that did the shoddy work were already paying back while efforts are on for the fund and other relevant authorities to bring to account all the 26 companies involved.Some companies are said to have used substandard equipment or built cheap houses compared to what was required.FARG annually receives 6% of government revenues. Last year, the government allocated Rwf 18 billion and this financial year, the fund was given Rwf23 billion to facilitate the survivors through various cooperative and productive activities.

National

Rwf1.6 billion earmarked for renovation of survivors houses