Senior Government officials and development partners today convened in Rubavu district for the sixteenth annual Development Partners Retreat (DPR), to discuss Rwanda’s development plans and priorities for medium and long term. Held under the theme; A New Decade for Action: Catalysing Partnerships for Transformation, the senior-level two-day retreat brings together stakeholders in Rwanda’s development to review and discuss progress in implementing the National Strategy for Transformation as well as vision 2050. In his remarks, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana noted that over the last two decades, Rwanda has recorded an average GDP growth of about 8% per annum, which by all standards is commendable. However, he reminded that the GDP growth required to achieve Vision 2050 is much more than the average 8%. He singled out 2019 where Rwanda achieved a high GDP growth averaging 10.9% for the first 3 quarters of the year. “This year, one of the questions asked to us by Rwandans is how to ensure that this high growth is not a one-off, but is sustained over the next three decades. It will require both economic and societal transformation,” Minister Ndagijimana said. Stephen Rodriguez, the acting United Nation Resident Coordinator and the DPR co-chair said for Rwanda to become middle income country by 2035, it will require a high rate of financing and investment. “The Government has been making strategic investments and we have seen increase private investment as well but there is a lot of work to be done to attract more investments, raise more domestic investments and increase public and private financing. This are some of the conversations we will have in the retreat,” Mr. Rodrigues. The 2020 Development Partners Retreat discussions will focus on ways to achieve the transformative agenda established by Vision 2050 and the NST1, leveraging private sector investment for economic and social transformation; building more resilient and inclusive societies including through climate and disaster responsive planning and investments in nutrition and early childhood development and strengthening partnerships and mutual accountability for development.

The Development Partners Retreat (DPR) is an annual, senior-level retreat that brings together Rwanda’s key development stakeholders to review priorities and challenges in meeting the country’s development objectives and targets. The DPR serves as an opportunity for dialogue on strategic issues not sufficiently covered at quarterly Development Partners Coordination Group (DPCG) meetings. DPR shapes the agenda between Government and Rwanda and its partners over the course of the year, and builds stronger working partnerships to improve the quality and delivery of all external development finance and technical assistance to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of national priorities.