Local leaders in the Eastern Province have been urged to play their role to ensure that the district performs maximally in the performance contracts for this fiscal year.   The call was made by the Governor of Eastern Province, Odette Uwamariya, on Thursday in Ngoma District while addressing local leaders and heads of the private sector, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders in the province.The event also served as a platform to launch the implementation of this year’s performance contracts was also launched at the provincial level.Focus on infrastructure  The function, which also featured an ‘Open Day’ was also characterised by exhibition of agricultural produce and it attracted entrepreneurs, farmers, NGOs, banks and small scale financial institutions and development partners in all districts.Uwamariya said the districts within her jurisdiction would this fiscal year focus on infrastructure development, adding that it was key to economic growth. "Last year, you did not fulfil your pledges 100 per cent, but you did your best…your performance in the last two years, show your level of commitment. It is time again to start implementing what we committed to achieve,” she told the district leaders.The Governor further asked residents and partners to continue to support the district to achieve its ambitions, noting that their involvement in district’s development programmes was crucial."As local leaders we cannot work in isolation, residents who are the primary beneficiaries must have a hand”.Aphrodise Nambaje, the Ngoma District mayor, said the role of residents cannot be overemphasised"Our district’s performance (for 2012/13) was above 95 per cent. This must be reflected in our capacity to address economic issues in communities.”