RUMONGE January 27th (ABP) – Two Ministers namely the Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines, Ibrahim Uwizeye and the Minister of Civil Service, Labor and Employment, Déo Rusengwamihigo, met on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, the people of Rumonge province (south-west of the country) to collect their grievances.
In his welcoming address, the governor of the said province, Léonard Niyonsaba, spoke about the challenges linked to the lack of electricity and water in certain localities of the province. According to him, the lack of electricity hinders the development of the population in particular and the country in general. He gave an example of the case of the non-electrified Rutumo village while the Ruziba hydroelectric plant is located in the same village. He asked that this locality be electrified to promote the self-development of its inhabitants.
The problem of poles that were installed and the project stopped without knowing the cause, was raised by some of the participants. During the same meeting, the participants deplored the fact that the payment of fees for the purchase of meters is done as soon as possible, but the supply of the latter is experiencing delays.
Other concerns raised concerned the lack of water on quite a few villages in different communes as well as the money paid by the people who get supplied from public taps. Reacting to those grievances, Minister Uwizeye appointed the technical managers of the various services of his ministry to provide clarifications. Thus, on the issue of the inhabitants of the Rutumo village, the Director General of REGIDESO, specified that the localities where the dams and hydroelectric power stations are located will be electrified, noting that this project is provided for in the 2023-2024 budget, also adding that Muhuta commune as well as Mutambara village are on the list. For the poles located in different corners whose project has stopped, the DG of REGIDESO indicated that he was already aware of that situation, reassuring the inhabitants of those localities that the electric wires as well as the meters and the transformers have been ordered to take over the activities of the said project.
Thus, he appealed to the provincial branch manager of REGIDESO to identify broken down or low-capacity transformers as well as households with conventional meters to be replaced free of charge.
Concerning the lamentations relating to the lack of water, he underlined that the partner who had given up financing in 2015 the project of capturing water from Lake Tanganyika, to supply the towns of Nyanza-Lac and Rumonge has returned, while hoping that this project will soon restart.
On the question of the money paid by those who get their supplies from public taps, the AHAMR official indicated that public taps are reserved for inhabitants considered to be poor, the reason why that payment is illegal and illogical, and has therefore called on the administration to take that issue in hand to stop the theft made to the people while inviting the administration to sensitize the owners of the private branches so that they buy meters, because the latter must pay, he insisted, so that the money collected contributes in that service.
The questions addressed to the Minister of the Civil Service, Labor and Employment were mainly related to the inventory of the wage harmonization project, the Head of State’s promise to retirees and the criterion of experience required at the level of calls for job offers, thus eliminating young job seekers. According to Minister Rusengwamihigo, the salary harmonization process is going well and specified that the budget necessary to start that project is already available. Regarding the salary promised by the President of the Republic to retirees, Mr. Rusengwamihigo indicated that retirees will receive a sum remaining after the withdrawal of allowances and bonuses. On the question of seniority asked in calls for job offers, the Minister of the Public Service indicated that this question was asked in several provinces, and added that this criterion must be omitted to give a chance to young unemployed people who are truly in need of job.