Permanent Secretaries, Province and District Executive Secretaries are currently in Rubavu District for a three-day planning retreat to ensure consistent and harmonized prioritization of plans and budgets for the Fiscal Year 2018/19 and medium term across central and local government.

The retreat follows the issuance of the first Planning and Budgeting Call Circular (1st PBCC) which offers guidelines for technical teams both at central and local government to develop plans and technical documents that will facilitate prioritization of new and ongoing investments for 2018/19 fiscal year as well as medium term.

Addressing participants at the start of the retreat, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Treasury (PS-ST) Caleb Rwamuganza noted that the retreat was an opportunity to ensure adequate involvement of Permanent and Executive Secretaries in the provision of the required strategic guidance to technical teams as not only chief budget managers but chief strategic planners as well.

“The Fiscal Year 2018-19 as well as medium term that we are planning for is a unique one given the spirit of the first National Strategy for Transformation which calls for shift from doing business as usual and high expectations from citizens and commitments made in the seven year government program,” PS-ST Rwamuganza said.

With 2018/19 being the second last fiscal year to the end of Vision 2020, participants were urged to design concrete strategies and investments including catch up plans for the unfinished targets such as eradicating extreme poverty, accelerated Exports and jobs creation targets. 

Key topics up for discussion at the retreat include Energy, Agriculture, Exports, Urbanization and Settlement, Transport, Water & Sanitation, National Employment Program, Social Protection, Education and Health, Nutrition and Service Delivery.

Discussions will focus on creating strong linkages between 7year Government Program/ NST1 and related Sector Strategic Plans as well as District Development Strategies; address challenges identified in the implementation of imihigo, plans, projects and budgets of 2017/18 and formulate innovations for the 2018/19 and medium term to accelerate implementation.

The retreat will further seek to ensure plans and priorities have tangible, measurable and positive impact on the economy and the population in general.