Belgium scraps $50M aid as Rwanda fails to meet democracy target

[jMali]

View attachment 213469
Critics accuse Kagame of trampling on media and political freedoms.


Belgium has scrapped 40-million-euro ($50-million) of aid to Rwanda over its failure to meet media freedom and governance targets, a diplomat at the Belgian embassy in Kigali said on Monday.

Rwanda's economy remains dependent on outside support and Western countries' suspension of aid in 2012 over alleged support from President Paul Kagame's administration for M23 rebels in neighbouring Congo, hurt Rwanda's growth in 2013.

Belgium in 2011 promised to give Rwanda aid worth 160 million euros over four years, the diplomat said, and offered an additional 40 million euros if it met various targets.


"The 40 million euros, in the agreement, was a reward that could be given to Rwanda if the score on media and governance was sufficiently met. There were improvements but not sufficient as written in the agreement we signed in 2011," he said.

Rwanda's minister of finance said that the government was still discussing payment of the extra money with Belgium.

"We are discussing it in our cooperation and we haven't raised it as an issue at all," Claver Gatete told Reuters.

Rwanda is ranked 162 out of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders media freedom index. Critics accuse Kagame of trampling on media and political freedoms.

The economy expanded 4.7 per cent in 2013, its weakest since 2003, missing the central African country's own 7.6 per cent forecast. Many Western partners have since resumed aid flows and Rwanda's economic growth is seen at 6 per cent this year, rising to 6.5 per cent in 2015.


Source:theeastafrican

cc: JokaKuu Ngongo, andybird314 Masonjo Bongolander

 

[Gama]

Ngoja wenyewe waje.
CC: KAGAMIETTE wote

 

[Ngongo]

Unadhani watakuja utasubiri sana.

Ngoja wenyewe waje.
CC: KAGAMIETTE wote

 

[Bongolander]

I wish this was done to Tanzania. Huku tunajidai tumetimiza lakini utapeli kwenda mbele.

 

[Umslopagas]

Thx For Information Mr. JMali, you are working very hard and tirelessly to unearth all the negative report about Rwanda, it is an obsession though am not sure what you are getting in return as it takes a lot of your time. Anyway back to the story I think it is just the promised reward and not the Aid it self, It is said that 160m aid. The 40m bonus was promised in case. So my point is, I don't think it can effect anything as planning will only plan basing on the aid it self and not on the promised reward which was subject to other factor. However I wish all the aid to Africa should stop so that we continue to fight for self reliance.

 

[jMali]

Thx For Information Mr. JMali, you are working very hard and tirelessly to unearth all the negative report about Rwanda, it is an obsession though am not sure what you are getting in return as it takes a lot of your time. Anyway back to the story I think it is just the promised reward and not the Aid it self, It is said that 160m aid. The 40m bonus was promised in case. So my point is, I don't think it can effect anything as planning will only plan basing on the aid it self and not on the promised reward which was subject to other factor. However I wish all the aid to Africa should stop so that we continue to fight for self reliance.

1. "you are working very hard and tirelessly to unearth all the negative report about Rwanda," are you sure? This is from the east african newspaper! seems like it is you who is working very hard and tirelessly TO IGNORE all the negative reports about Rwanda! Not the other way round.

2. back to the story, mkuu, i have just copy and pasted it. There isn't any comment about the story from me, so i wonder why you think you have to explain the story to me as if there is something i got wrong or something.

3. On this last point, yes, it's one of those rare occasions where i agree with you: Africa should do away with aid mentality.

 

[Sentry]

aid means slavery. selfsufficiency using tax is what will redeem africa

 

[Kiranga]

Waafrika tufunge mikanda.

Wafadhili Ulaya wamekaa chini, wakaona hivi kwa nini tunawasaidia Wafrika wakati wenyewe hawajali fiscal responsibility?

Hususan miaka hii ambayo hata wafadhili nao chumi zao si za kueleweka sana?

Kuna balozi mmoja wa Afrika alifika nyumbani kwa Waziri wa Sweden, alikuwa anaishi kwenye ki flat tu. Balozi wa Afrika akaomba mualiko kupelekwa kwenye "official residence", akifikiri kwamba ile ilikuwa ni some kind of a "personal retreat". Akaambiwa hii ndiyo official residence, kwani ulitegemea iweje?

Na hawahawa waafrika ndio bajeti zao zinategemea misaada ya Europeans.

 

[jMali]

Waafrika tufunge mikanda.

Wafadhili Ulaya wamekaa chini, wakaona hivi kwa nini tunawasaidia Wafrika wakati wenyewe hawajali fiscal responsibility?

Hususan miaka hii ambayo hata wafadhili nao chumi zao si za kueleweka sana?

Kuna balozi mmoja wa Afrika alifika nyumbani kwa Waziri wa Sweden, alikuwa anaishi kwenye ki flat tu. Balozi wa Afrika akaomba mualiko kupelekwa kwenye "official residence", akifikiri kwamba ile ilikuwa ni some kind of a "personal retreat". Akaambiwa hii ndiyo official residence, kwani ulitegemea iweje?

Na hawahawa waafrika ndio bajeti zao zinategemea misaada ya Europeans.

...bongo wanapanda ndege first class...kwenda ulaya kuomba misaada, ofisi za mjini hapa hapa Dar magari official ni SUVs, wamejiuzia nyumba za masaki na obay kwa viwango vya mwaka 47, halafu hao hao sasa wanakodi apartments za mawaziri kwa current market price...yani ni shida.