KIMIHURURA -President Paul Kagame has urged Rwandans not to expect everything from the government.The government has little to give, the President said yesterday while opening the fifth annual conference of National Dialogue at Parliamentary Buildings, Kimihurura.Kagame said that there are some facilities which people should fund but instead turn to the government for finances.He gave an example of some Rwandans in the Diaspora who expect the government to cover the costs of the meetings they hold in their respective countries.“We expect them to be meeting such costs not vice versa. We’re only expected to be sending them speakers to those meetings but not money,” he said.This year’s conference has attracted over 100 Rwandans from the Diaspora. The two-day conference was merged with the bi-annual Diaspora meeting.The President said that the conference is an appropriate platform for discussing national problems and seek solutions.“That is why we invited our development partners this year to share with them our programmes,” he said.He called upon Rwandans to always endeavor solve problems they face by themselves without waiting for external support.“For example issues like land management and settlement…these are problems that we can solve ourselves without waiting for foreign aid,” he said.He said that self sustainability should be encouraged right from family level. He added that it should start from parents by teaching their children. Among the key topics on the agenda of the meeting is the economic revolution of the country.A national steering committee, headed Local Government minister Protais Musoni, was put in place to oversee the implementation of economic revolution. Meanwhile, the President said that some immediate problems like the construction of houses for Genocide survivors must be solved.This emerged after the president of Ibuka, the umbrella organisation of Genocide survivors’ associations, Theodore Simburudali, said that survivors are still homeless despite the fact that government released some money to solve the problem.Kagame said that issues like tendering procedures should not hamper the construction works. In response, Local Government minister Musoni, said he would ensure that the problem is solved soon.The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Charles Murigande said that the Diaspora has brought more to the country especially in monetary terms.Murigande said that at least $60 million has been brought into the country by Rwandans in the Diaspora this year.He encouraged Rwandans living abroad to join the capital market, to be launched soon.The meeting continues today with presentations of districts contracts (Imihigo).ENDS
