Editor, Refer to the article “RSSB can reform to perform better” (The New Times, January 26). Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) should, indeed, be more ambitious with the management of employee pension funds. Rather than thinking of investment profits in the sense of “corporate organisations” as Moses Kazoora envisages, RSSB should be focusing on providing real value for the pensioner’s contribution – like investing in ventures which provide direct benefits to the pensioner, such as affordable housing. Yet, as it is now, RSSB is targeting the very well-to-do at the expense of the average pensioner. Look at RSSB’s Vision City; realistically speaking, no Rwandan pension contributor would afford buying a house in the estate. It’s so prohibitively priced—à la New York. RSSB is primarily a social services provide rather than being an economic provider. Ambitions are good but overwhelming ambitions are a blinder. While we can copy from Japan, we are unable to paste yet due to the different levels of the two economies. Truly, we need development and we need it fast, but we cannot pursue development at the expense of the well-being of our society. After all, all our society is providing the pension funds we are channeling into investment. Balanced development is the way. Rugema
