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Rwanda's Vision 2020 halfway through: what the eye does not see

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  • An Ansoms
  • Donatella Rostagno

Abstract

This paper considers the progress made in the implementation of Rwanda's Vision 2020 programme since its launch in 2000. At the halfway point, the overall picture is quite encouraging. Rwanda's economy is thriving and reported growth figures have been impressive. The country is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals in the fields of education and health care. Its political leaders have been praised for their quality of technocratic governance and their proactive approach to creating an attractive business climate. However, some indicators remain problematic. This paper argues that the current strategy -- one of maximum growth at any cost -- is counterproductive to the objective of achieving the greatest possible poverty reduction. Strong economic growth, concentrated in the hands of a small elite, results in a highly skewed developmental path with limited trickle-down potential. A possible alternative lies in an exploration of a broad-based inclusive growth model founded on existing strengths and the notion of capacity building among rural small-scale farmers. Striving for a more inclusive concept of growth would appear to be crucial not only for successful poverty reduction, but also with a view to promoting long-term stability and peace in Rwanda. [Vision 2020 du Rwanda à mi-parcours: ce que l'œil ne voit pas.] Le présent article analyse les progrès accomplis dans la mise en œuvre du programme ‘Vision 2020 du Rwanda’ depuis son lancement en 2000. À mi-terme, le tableau d'ensemble est encourageant. L'économie du Rwanda est en plein essor et les chiffres de croissance rapportés sont impressionnants. Le pays est sur la bonne voie pour atteindre les Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement dans les domaines de l'éducation et de santé. Ses dirigeants politiques ont été félicités pour la qualité de leur gouvernance technocratique et leur approche proactive de la création d'un climat propice au business. Toutefois, plusieurs indicateurs restent problématiques. Cet article soutient que la stratégie actuelle -- celle d'une croissance maximale à tout prix -- est contre-productive par rapport à l'objectif qui vise à atteindre la plus grande réduction possible de la pauvreté. La forte croissance économique, concentrée dans les mains d'une petite élite, résulte en une voie de développement très inégal avec un potentiel limité de retombées. Une alternative possible réside dans l'exploration d'un modèle fondé sur une croissance inclusive sur la base d'un renforcement des capacités des petits agriculteurs. Ceci semble crucial, non seulement pour réduire la pauvreté, mais aussi en vue de promouvoir la stabilité à long terme et la paix au Rwanda. Mots-clés : Rwanda ; pauvreté ; croissance ; politiques de développement

Suggested Citation

  • An Ansoms & Donatella Rostagno, 2012. "Rwanda's Vision 2020 halfway through: what the eye does not see," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(133), pages 427-450, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:revape:v:39:y:2012:i:133:p:427-450
    DOI: 10.1080/03056244.2012.710836
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    1. Ansoms, An & Verdoodt, Ann & Van Ranst, Eric, 2008. "The inverse relationship between farm size and productivity in rural Rwanda," IOB Discussion Papers 2008.09, Universiteit Antwerpen, Institute of Development Policy (IOB).
    2. Stefaan Marysse & An Ansoms & Danny Cassimon, 2007. "The Aid 'Darlings' and 'Orphans' of the Great Lakes Region in Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 433-458.
    3. Jayne, T. S. & Yamano, Takashi & Weber, Michael T. & Tschirley, David & Benfica, Rui & Chapoto, Antony & Zulu, Ballard, 2003. "Smallholder income and land distribution in Africa: implications for poverty reduction strategies," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 253-275, June.
    4. Margot Leegwater, 2011. "Sharing Scarcity: Issues of Land Tenure in South-east Rwanda," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: An Ansoms & Stefaan Marysse (ed.), Natural Resources and Local Livelihoods in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, chapter 6, pages 104-122, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    4. Sam Desiere & Lotte Staelens & Marijke D’Haese, 2016. "When the Data Source Writes the Conclusion: Evaluating Agricultural Policies," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(9), pages 1372-1387, September.
    5. Lisa, Pech & Christian, Levers & Karen, Büscher & Blake, Walker, 2021. "Armed conflict and cross-border asymmetries in urban development: A contextualized spatial analysis of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gisenyi, Rwanda," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    6. Pritish Behuria & Tom Goodfellow, 2016. "The political settlement and ‘deals environment’ in Rwanda: Unpacking two decades of economic growth," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-057-16, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    7. Muyombano, Emmanuel & Espling, Margareta, 2020. "Land use consolidation in Rwanda: The experiences of small-scale farmers in Musanze District, Northern Province," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    8. Abbott, Pamela & Mugisha, Roger & Mtika, Peter & Nzabalirwa, Wenceslas, 2020. "Failing adult learners: Why Rwanda’s adult literacy education is not delivering," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Desiere, Sam & Vellema, Wytse & D’Haese, Marijke, 2015. "A validity assessment of the Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI)™," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 10-18.
    10. Lamek Nahayo & Christophe Mupenzi & Alphonse Kayiranga & Fidele Karamage & Felix Ndayisaba & Enan Muhire Nyesheja & Lanhai Li, 2017. "Early alert and community involvement: approach for disaster risk reduction in Rwanda," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 86(2), pages 505-517, March.
    11. Debusscher, Petra, 2014. "Gender mainstreaming on the ground? The case of EU development aid towards Rwanda," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 18, November.

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