Channeling aid through the budget increases accountability, acting World Bank Country Director Ms. Judy O’Connor said.“There is always a danger in having the linkages with the beneficiaries but with the budget support approach, it’s more efficient, effective with enhanced accountability than it could be in different projects,” she said.O’Connor has been in the country for a three day visit. She is the acting World Bank Director for Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. O’Connor appreciated the government’s strategy of growing an ICT based economy, but hastened to add that planners should focus on the agriculture sector, also saying it’s the backbone of the economy.Talking on the move of Rwanda to join the East African Community (EAC), O’Connor said that it is one way towards development through emerging markets and reducing trade barriers. Regarding the gap between the rich and the poor, she advised the government to develop policies that focus on rural development with good roads, value addition to their products, liberalised prices, and new varieties of seeds.O’Connor A statement from World Bank country office says O’Connor, an Irish national, joined the Bank in 1976.She has held various positions in the Bank, including a number of senior positions in the Africa Region, Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region.Ends
