Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente is set to deliver a presentation to lawmakers on the government’s actions and achievements in enhancing the well-being of Rwandans, on Thursday, June 19.

Ngirente will present the government's achievements in improving citizens' welfare, in key sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, health and education.

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The premier’s presentation, in the afternoon, follows a recent survey report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) which showed that Rwanda lifted more than 1.5 million citizens out of poverty over the last seven years, with an average 214,000 people emerging from poverty each year.

The seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV 7), which NISR published on April 16, indicated that the national poverty rate fell from 39.8 per cent in 2017 to 27.4 per cent in 2024 – a decline of 12.4 percentage points.

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Speaking at the survey launch, Ngirente described the lifting of 1.5 million Rwandans out of poverty over the last seven years as encouraging. He said that poverty reduction and other achievements indicated by the survey report were driven mainly by strategic investments made by the government of Rwanda and its partners over the period under review.

The long-standing social protection schemes played an important role in improving the well-being of our citizens, he observed.

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Regarding social protection, the survey found that Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP) – an integrated programme meant to accelerate poverty eradication, rural growth, and social protection – had around 410,000 beneficiaries.

VUP provides varied assistance to its beneficiaries, including through wages as payment for public works; and direct support or safety net through provision of unconditional monthly cash transfers to the needy.

The support also includes financial services which consist of cheap loans charged at 2 per cent interest rate per year to help economically vulnerable people to run income-generating activities.

The analysis indicated that VUP interventions significantly target vulnerable populations, particularly women, pointing out that despite improvements, VUP households still lagged behind in access to basic services compared to the general population.

Much as the country has seen these good achievements, Ngirente admitted that the government still has a lot do in its quest for a poverty-free Rwanda.