The 10th edition of the National Dialogue (Inama y’Umushyikirano) to be held in December, will determine how the money that has been raised under the Agaciro Development Fund will be deployed, Finance and Economic Planning Minister John Rwangombwa has said.

The national dialogue is an annual two-day event that brings citizens from all walks of life for a frank exchange of views and asking of hard questions is encouraged. The dialogue is noted for providing a platform to citizens who are likely to expose leaders they feel are underperforming.

Mr Rwangombwa said: “We have what we call an intensive campaign period between July and October. What we get during that period gives an indication of how much we might get and therefore we plan for that. But people will continue contributing, which we can plan for in the following period.”

“By November we should have really got an indication of how much we might get this year and therefore we can plan for that and present it to the Umushyikirano,” he added.

The fund, which was launched on August 23, has so far raised Rwf7 billion in cash and Rwf24 million in pledges.

“We haven’t decided exactly what we are going to use this money for. We are still in the collecting phase. So depending on how much we end up with, the government will propose how we use the money and we will discuss this in the national dialogue meeting in December,” Mr Rwangombwa said.

The hitherto absence of any indications from the government on how the money will be used has inspired some citizens, including Joseph Habineza, the leader of the unregistered Democratic Green Party, to suggest that the money be turned into a bond where the government can pay interest to. That idea, however, is untenable according to Mr Rwangombwa.

“People should understand what this fund is and how it is mobilised. You can’t turn it into a bond. That would be like taking our tax money and turn it into a bond,” Mr Rwangombwa said.

“These are voluntary contributions given to the government to finance public interests. It is money given to the government. It is not money lent to the government. It is a fund by the people for the interest of the people. So it is money they are putting together for their own interests, so you can’t turn around and say we are turning it into a bond,” he explained.

The fund, which is intended to inspire the pursuit of dignity and self-reliance, was launched in the wake of aid suspensions from five development partners, who were reacting to the UN Group of Experts report alleging that Rwanda was backing a rebellion in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda has remained insistent that it isn’t involved whatsoever in such destabilising acts.

Although the fund has captured the imagination of citizens in and outside the country, it hasn’t been without controversy.
As Rwanda Today reported last week, some government employees have claimed that they are being coerced to contribute when, in fact, the fund is meant to be purely voluntary.

According to word on the ground, coercion still lingers in some places in spite of a clear government directive against forcing people to contribute to the fund. Although Mr Rwangombwa has encouraged those who have been coerced to report the matter, it is unlikely that anyone will come forth for fear that they might be perceived as being anti-government projects.