Gako, 5 March 2012
The second day of discussions at the ongoing Leadership Retreat taking place in Gako, Bugesera focused on revision of Vision 2020 targets; improved service delivery, agriculture and healthcare. Currently, of the 47 listed Vision 2020 indicators, 60% have been achieved or are on track, 17% are achievable and 23% need concerted efforts.Targets have been updated to ensure alignment with current realities including the seven-year government action plan, lessons learned from implementation of EDPRS 1.
A GDP of $1,240 per capital, up from $900, is the new indicator for Vision 2020 based on new international criteria for middle income countries.Minister of Finance, John Rwangombwa said that achieving the new targets will require 11.5 % overall economic growth, with agriculture growing at over 8.5%:
“We plan to raise productivity in the agriculture sector because this is where majority of Rwandans make a living. We have to change mindsets and improve the way Rwandans farm and harvest; find markets as well as improve infrastructure so that their produce can reach various markets. In addition we will intensify focus on energy generation as evidence has shown where citizens have access to electricity, lives change dramatically.”
Building on the achievements in poverty reduction in the first phase of EDPRS, the poverty rate has been revised downward to 20% by 2020. The finance ministry will release new indicators next month.