Governor woos Chinese investors

EASTERN PROVINCE The Eastern Province governor, Dr Ephraim Kabaija has said they are holding talks with the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) that could lead the latter to aid some developmental activities in the province. Kabaija was yesterday addressing reporters at the Akagera Game Lodge, in Kayonza district where he hosted a seven-man CPAFFC delegation who had paid a visit to the province. They were led by the CPAFFC President, Chen Haosu and Lu Xuezhi, the deputy head of Asian and African affairs of CPAFFC. Kabaija said the visitors were in the province to inspect some of the developmental activities in need of assistance. Once the talks succeed, Kabaija said, the Chinese would provide machines to process quality products such as rice and getting threads from banana fibres. “We hope these talks will yield the best and we still hope it will benefit the people of the Eastern Province and the country in general,” he said adding: “We have been in good terms with CPAFFC and the Chinese government, there is no doubt that what we are doing now will yield positive results.” While still the governor of the Eastern Province, the state minister for Education, Théoneste Mutsindashyaka, and other provincial officials, also visited Beijing Grang XI Province last year, as part of strengthening partnerships between the two provinces. The delegation had earlier inspected some development activities in the province that include small scale enterprise activities in Ngoma district, the Cyunuzi Rice Scheme, before winding up in Mushikiri Banana Farmers’ Cooperative Society, both in Kirehe district. Cyunuzi rice scheme has 4,125 members in COOPROKI cooperative society with 1,540 of them being women. The farmers have prepared 350 hectares of land on which to grow rice, but 450 hectares remain unprepared, which affects output, according to the society members. They also do not have machines to turn their harvested rice into quality rice that can fetch high prices on the market.Others present at the meeting were all the Mayors of the Eastern Province districts and security personnel. Ends