A two-day retreat featuring discussions on how to best fulfil the Senate's mandate and its collaboration with other entities in Rwanda's governance, kicked off on Thursday, October 17, at parliamentary buildings in Kigali.
Among key items on the agenda, there is better serving Rwandans and contributing to effective execution of the second National Strategy for Transformation - which runs from 2024 through 2029.
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Under the five-year programme, the government seeks to achieve targets including creating up to 1.25 million productive and decent jobs - or 250,000 new jobs annually, and doubling private investment from $2.2 billion in 2023 to $4.6 billion by 2029.
Other targets include more than doubling annual export revenues, from $3.5 billion in 2023 to $7.3 billion by 2029, a move expected to be fuelled by non-traditional products, agro-processing, and mining focusing on value addition.
While opening the retreat, Senate President François-Xavier Kalinda said that it is held about three weeks after the fourth legislature commenced its duties - on September 26 and is intended to give senators time to exchange ideas on the Senate's duties and their implementation with the aim to foster Rwandans' unity, improving residents' welfare, and developing the country's economy.
"This retreat is an occasion to reflect on our oath and the opportunity we were given so that we make a contribution to the development of our country based on the vision contained in the fundamental principles the country committed itself to uphold, and the second National Strategy for Transformation [NST2] by considering the Senate's role in overseeing its implementation," he said.
On Friday, October 18 - the last day of the retreat - a presentation on NST2 will be delivered by an official from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN).
Kalinda said lawmakers should prioritise better collaboration with other organs in the country and placing national interests above all.
Shortly after the Senate President opened the retreat, former Senator Tito Rutaremara delivered a presentation on the origin of the Senate, and citizens' expectations from it.
Currently, Rutaremara is the Chairperson of Rwanda Elders Advisory Forum (REAF).
The main reason the Senate was established [in 2003], he said, is to be the custodian of Rwanda's fundamental principles that are crucial to achieving the unity of Rwandans [after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi destroyed Rwandans' social fabric], national development, and a country where the rule of law is a reality.
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"Fundamental principles are the foundation of the government of unity," he said, observing that the Senate, as the custodian of those principles, is an important organ.
He said that the Senate has, among other responsibilities, to support the achievement of welfare for all Rwandans - without any discrimination.
"Senators must reach out to residents, listen to them, know their problems, and endeavor to address them in a timely manner," he said, observing that that is what will make the citizenry understand the Senate and its essence.
