Rwanda ministers donate salary to Covid-19 efforts

Rwanda’s cabinet ministers and top officials have said they will donate their salary for April towards the country’s efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The prime minister’s office released a statement saying the leaders of national institutions and other top government officials will forgo their salaries.

Rwanda has so far recorded 104 cases of the coronavirus, the highest number in the region.

The government has begun distributing food to those that are not able to work from home during the country’s tight lockdown.

Thousands of workers who normally rely on daily wages are unable to earn any form of income, so the government has been forced to step in to support them.

However, the food distribution programme has already come under fire, with some saying they were not provided enough food for one day, let alone one week, whilst officials involved with the programme have been arrested for theft.

The International Monetary Fund approved a US$109m loan to Rwanda last week, providing a fiscal cushion for the government so can continue to support its citizens.

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