The European Commission Monday announced a grant of 73.8 million euros to support Rwanda’s programme to decentralise agricultural activities, manage natural resources, ensure good g overnance as well as rehabilitate infrastructure.
Ambassador Michel Arrion, head of the European Union (EU) mission in Rwanda, and John Rwangombwa, Rwandan Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, signed the a greement for the funding Monday in Kigali.
Some 18.8 million euros of the amount will be invested in the agricultural secto rs and in the protection of environment.
“The objective of this programme is to support the ongoing sectional policy aimi ng at land reform and the mobilization of the rural communities to protect the land against the effects of climate change,” according to a statement from t he mission.
Some 12 million euros – that comes from the 10th initiative of the European Deve lopment Fund (FED) – will be invested in the budget support to the different programmes of justice, reconciliation and the strengthe ning of the Rule of law in Rwanda, the statement said.
The remaining part of the money will be used to upgrade road infrastructure and reinforce the institutional capacities of the organs in charge of seeing to transparency in governmental institutions.
In 2009, the EU was one of Rwanda’s major donors, with a total amount of US$6.3 million released to support the different sectional programmes, an official source said in Kigali.
