President Paul Kagame on Monday, December 23, urged new cabinet members to prioritise more resource mobilisation to facilitate the fulfilment of their responsibilities, instead of focusing on the limited available funds in the national treasury.
He was officiating the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Sports, Rwego Ngarambe, and the Minister of State in charge of the National Treasury in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Godfrey Kabera.
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Some of the reasons leaders often put forward for not fulfilling their responsibilities include not being given enough tools to assume responsibilities, Kagame said, telling the new officials that the responsibilities a leader is given include looking for the needed tools.
"An oath is not just a formality; it carries its own weight and aligns with the work to be done. When you are appointed to such positions, it is understood that you have the weight of your responsibilities at heart, and you must feel committed to upholding them. Even though not... pic.twitter.com/on5OVvCr4l-- Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) December 23, 2024
Given that the country has not enough readily available resources to meet all the financing requirements of each institution, he said, leaders should play a role in getting the needed funds.
He pointed out that "the limited resources the country has are allocated to all of its entities, which means that every entity gets inadequate allocation."
"The country has not enough [resources], but rather, people are entrusted with responsibilities so that, in their work, they fulfill those responsibilities, including the increase of resources."
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Specifically addressing new leaders in the sports ministry leaders, Kagame said that among the benefits of sports to people, there should also be generation of resources.
He urged them to treat sports as a talent-based business.
For leaders in the ministry of finance including the new Minister of State in Charge of the National Treasury, Kagame said focus should be put on increasing assets into the national treasury such as through expanding financing avenues, instead of only managing already available funds.