KIGALI, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan government will prioritize health system, productivity of agriculture and livestock as well as social protection coverage in the national budget for the next financial year, Rwandan minister of finance Uzziel Ndagijimana said on Thursday.
The total spending of fiscal year 2020/21 is projected at 3,245.7 billion Rwandan francs (about 3.5 billion U.S. dollars), which is 228.7 billion francs higher than revised budget estimates of 3,017.1 billion Rwandan francs of 2019/2020, Ndagijimana told the parliament in Kigali, captial city of Rwanda, when presenting the government budget framework paper.
"Key priorities for the 2020/21 national budget will include strengthening the health system, increasing agriculture and livestock productivity, scaling up social protection coverage, creation of employment opportunities and support to small and medium enterprises and large enterprises affected by COVID-19," said Ndagijimana.
Other interventions will include support for made-in-Rwanda products, promotion of digital technologies to improve service delivery, improving access to quality education, eradicating malnutrition and stunting and strengthening disaster preparedness and management, he said.
As Rwanda continues to promote export diversification and reduce exposure to external shocks and imbalances over the medium term, economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak called for particular actions for quicker response, said the minister. Enditem
