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Ambassador Igor Cesar presents credentials to represent Rwanda in Czech Republic

The ceremony that took place on 19th June 2019 was also marked by discussions between Ambassador Igor and President Miloš on bilateral relations.

The President of the Czech Republic thanked the leadership of Rwanda and all Rwandans for the great and exemplary attained milestone towards the resilience process particularly with regards to economic growth, building unity and reconciliation and unity and maintaining security.

Ambassador Igor extended greetings from President Paul Kagame to his counterpart of Czech Republic wishing him peace and health.

President Miloš welcomed Ambassador Igor and wished him all the best while accomplishing his duties. He also assured improved collaboration for improved relations.

Rwanda and the Czech Republic sought together how to improve cooperation enhancing in economic growth, trade and investments.

The discussions also took heed on education, improving telecommunication technology, modern agriculture and how increase value chain of agricultural produce.
Ambassador Cesar also met Rwandans living in Czech Republic and encouraged them to be united and participate in the development of the country.

June 23, 2019
Over Rwf 4 billion for turning Nyandungu wetland into an eco-tourism park

Nyandungu wetland is located in Ndera and Nyarugunga sectors from Kicukiro and Gasabo districts.

The project to preserve the wetland started in 2017 but was unexpectedly suspended later leaving neighboring residents in dismay as they have revealed to RBA.

“When the activities began, we benefited from employment. They were later suspended and left us into confusion because we didn’t know the reason behind it,” said one of the residents near the wetland who had got jobs from grading activities.

“It was said that a lake was to be created in that area. Everyone had welcomed the idea but activities halted and the area has turned into a bush,” said another resident.

Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) has explained that the contractor who had won the tender to upgrade the wetland in 2017 failed to comply with requirements resulting in seeking another one to take on.

The Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Engineer Colette Ruhamya has said that activities are on track and will be completed on time.

“There is a new company upgrading the wetland. It was qualified to take on after demonstrating excellent potential than the previous one. We saw the need to seek new contractors to execute the project appropriately in a way that suits the country’s and Kigali city vision,” she said.

The first contractor who failed was paid Rwf 360 million. All activities are expected to take Rwf 4.53billion.

March 16, 2019
Jhené Aiko gets face of BF Big Sean tattooed on her arm

L.A.-based tattoo artist Miryam Lumpini, who also goes by the Witchdoctor, posted her latest work, which features a huge image of Big Sean on Aiko’s bicep. The illustration shows Sean wearing what appears to be two stud earrings and a green bowtie. Lumpini noted in her caption, “Art is love. Thanks Jheńe for allowing me to share this moment.”

The tat comes about a week after Aiko finalized her divorce from Dot Da Genius. And, to sum up what lots of people are already thinking, yes — it’s very large, very legit, and will be very hard to cover up in case they have a rocky future. But on the flip side, maybe they will be together forever.

Aiko certainly isn’t the only celebrity to get inked in the name of love — one of the most prominent matching-tattoo pairs comes from power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The two got their lucky number 4 in roman numerals on their ring fingers. Queen Bey recently made headlines for slightly altering the look of her iconic body art. It looks a little darker now, and there are few noticeably different added lines.

October 11, 2017
RRA set to auction UTC building over Rwf1 billion tax arrears, negotiations falter

{{Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) is following legal procedures to auction 39 properties including the Union Trade Centre (UTC), a property of Rwandan exiled tycoon, Tribert Ayabatwa Rujugiro and four other shareholders.}}

Rujugiro owns 97% of shares in the $20 million UTC while four others share the remaining 3% in shopping malls strategically located in city centre of Kigali, Nyarugenge District.

Speaking to IGIHE, Mr. Richard Tusabe, the Commissioner General of RRA, says none of the 39 seized properties that appeared on RRA’s announcement of 2nd May, 2017, has cleared tax arrears.

“Not any of the properties on the list has paid yet. We are following the due procedures. We shall auction them in accordance with the laws,” Mr. Tusabe said last week.

UTC is the only famous property that features on the list of seized properties and probably the sole abandoned property under government’s management.

Tusabe declined to give details on UTC tax arrears saying, “Wait until the auction time comes, we shall let you know.”

However, IGIHE has learned that UTC owes government a whopping sum of about Rwf1.2 billion, resulting from evaded taxes between 2007 and 2013, plus penalties.

UTC Manager, Alex Muhaya, said the management is dealing with RRA to see if the issue can get cleared before going into actual auction. However, the deadline seems to have expired, according to RRA’s announcement of May 2, which had given 15 days to property owners to pay taxes before going into auction.

“I don’t think it is important to disclose details about the issue per now. These details are in the interests of UTC shareholders, not for the general public. If it gets into auction, you get to know and if it does not, we shall have cleared the arrears. Let’s wait for RRA’s final decision to announce details,” said Muhaya, declining to give further details on the issue.

Fate of Rugiro dividends under district management

Vedaste Nsabimana, the Nyarugenge District Vice-Mayor for Finance and Economic Development who also chairs the abandoned properties management commission, told IGIHE he is aware of the on-going saga of UTC battling with tax evasion, saying that the commission will manage Rujugiro’s balance after deduction of taxes in case the property is auctioned.

“We manage dividends of Rujugiro only, not the entire UTC because it has other shareholders. We have paid all taxes since we took over the management of his dividends. UTC management can tell more about arrears and circumstances of their accumulation. But we have learned that they accumulated before we got into its management,” said Nsabimana.

Rujugiro’s dividends in UTC were put under government’s management in October 2013 as abandoned property because the owner left the country in 2009 after battling tax evasion in England.

The law of August 2015 on the management of abandoned properties authorises government to manage any immovable or movable property unrightfully possessed by others due to the fact that the rightful owners either died without leaving a legally recognised heir or do not reside in Rwanda for various reasons without having left behind a person legally authorised to manage their property.

The government decentralised the management of abandoned properties to special district commissions. Currently, Nyarugenge District manages 70 abandoned properties including 67 houses and three land plots. So far, six properties, formerly under the commission’s management, have been given back to owners.

Article 17 of the law on the management of abandoned property stipulates that a half of the amount collected from abandoned property shall be deposited on a fixed deposit bank account in the National Bank of Rwanda while the other half of that amount shall be deposited on a current bank account in the National Bank of Rwanda to be used in the maintenance and renovation of the abandoned property and tax payment.

If the owner of the property shows up, the law states, they shall be refunded the money from the fixed bank account after deducting 10% which is transferred to the public treasury account. The owner shall also be refunded any unused money from the current account.

July 7, 2017
Angolan capital ‘most expensive city for expats’

{Luanda, the capital of Angola, has regained top spot as the world’s most expensive city for expats, pushing Hong Kong back into second place.}

The claim is made in the 23rd annual cost-of-living survey carried out by the advisory firm Mercer.

Tokyo, Zurich and Singapore comprise the rest of the top five.

London has fallen to just 30th place in the rankings, partly because of the pound’s devaluation, with other big UK cities also dropping down the rankings.

“UK cities have fallen again this year as the British pound weakened before, and after, the EU referendum last summer,” said Kate Fitzpatrick of Mercer.

“However, London did not drop as far as may be expected, with steep prices keeping London as one of the most expensive cities for expatriates worldwide.

“The capital’s rental costs remain at the higher end globally and have remained stable, or increased slightly over the last year as construction cannot keep up with demand,” she added.

After London, the other most expensive UK cities were Aberdeen (146th), Birmingham (147th), Glasgow (161st) and Belfast (170th).

The annual survey looks at more than just the cost to expats of renting an apartment or house.

It examines the cost of 200 items in each place, including housing, transport, clothes, food and entertainment.

Thus it compares the cost of buying a cinema ticket, a pair of jeans, a litre of water, a cup of coffee, a litre of petrol, a litre of milk, and bread and beer.

The position of Luanda, which has topped these rankings frequently in the past few years, is influenced by the cost of secure accommodation for expat staff as well as for everyday goods.

For instance, the cost of renting an unfurnished three-bedroom house of “international standards in an appropriate neighbourhood” is put at a whopping $13,000 US dollars (£10,300) a month.

In general, Asian and European cities are the most expensive.

Places six to 10 in the annual rankings are taken by Seoul, Geneva, Shanghai, New York and Bern.

Mercer uses New York as its benchmark for comparing the costs of living in other cities, and measures currency movements against the US dollar.

“Overall, US cities either remained stable in the ranking or have slightly increased due to the movement of the US dollar against the majority of currencies worldwide,” said Mercer.

Source:BBC

June 21, 2017
Niger floods: Nine children killed as homes collapse

{At least nine children are reported to have died as houses in Niger’s capital, Niamey, collapsed following heavy rain.}

The rain has caused floods and extensive damage, including to one of the main markets in the city centre.

Homes collapsed in several parts of the city, trapping or killing those inside, AFP reported Zourkaleini Maiga, secretary general of the local authority, as saying.

Last month, the UN warned that 106,000 people in Niger were at risk of floods.

One woman told local television that three of her four children had died while sheltering from the rain by the wall of a neighbour’s house.

Two television channels, Tele-Sahel and Tal-TV, had their programming interrupted on Tuesday evening when their studios flooded, AFP reported company officials as saying.

Reports in Nigerian newspapers have also spoken of transport links with northern Nigeria being cut in the past few days, as two road bridges on key routes were washed away in the Mokwa area and a railway line was severed.

One blogger posted images purporting to show a tanker and other vehicles that had come off the road as one of the bridges gave way.

Niger’s government declared a state of emergency on the country’s state roads following the bridge collapses, the News Agency of Nigeria said.

It quoted Niger’s state commissioner for information Jonathan Vatsa as saying: “Road users should henceforth be very careful and take precautionary measures while travelling on the roads as anything can happen. The federal roads in the state are no longer safe.

“I advise drivers of trucks and articulated vehicles to be conscious especially when approaching a bridge.”

The rainy season in Niger, which lasts for at least three months, has just started.
Floods last year affected tens of thousands of people and killed dozens, mainly in the desert regions of Agadez and Tahoua.

Source:BBC

June 15, 2017
On Qatar, Pakistan walks a diplomatic tightrope

{Parliament expresses ‘deep concern’ over Gulf diplomatic rift, but government stops short of taking a side.}

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s parliament has expressed its “deep concern” over the blockade and severing of ties with Qatar by several Arab states, calling for the government to help mediate in the crisis between the Gulf state and its neighbours.

“This House calls upon all countries to show restraint and resolve all differences through dialogue,” read a resolution passed by the lower house of parliament on Thursday.

The measure came as Pakistan’s foreign ministry reiterated the country’s “concern” at the escalating situation – but stopped short of endorsing one side or another.

“Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim countries and has made consistent and serious efforts for its promotion,” Nafees Zakaria, the Pakistani foreign office spokesperson, said on Thursday.

“We are therefore concerned at the situation.”

But Zakaria refused to comment when probed on whether Pakistan had taken any steps to mediate the crisis or was also considering severing ties with Qatar.

He also had nothing to say when pressed to provide Pakistan’s position on the allegations of “supporting terrorism” levelled against Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and their allies.

Pakistan has a close economic and strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia, which is leading the calls for the blockade and severing of ties.

Yet, in the past it has resisted pressure to wade into regional conflict in the Middle East.

In April 2015, Pakistan’s parliament voted to remain neutral in the war in Yemen, despite pressure to join a Saudi-led military alliance targeting Houthi rebels in the country.

On Monday, Pakistan’s foreign office indicated that it currently had no plans to sever ties with Qatar.

Source:Al Jazeera

June 9, 2017
East Africa unveils national budgets

{IT is budget day for East African region as partner states are set to present their national budget estimates simultaneously today. And, for Tanzania, all roads lead to Dodoma where the government is pencilled to table the national budget estimates for the 2017/18 financial year.}

The government is expected to increase spending to 32.945tri/- from the current 29.5tri/-, to finance implementation of flagship infrastructural projects aimed at enabling Tanzania to make optimal use of its strategic position as a transport hub in the region.

The 2017/18 budget is aimed at financing the second year of the ambitious Five- Year Development Plan II (2016/17 – 2020/21) which is geared towards heavy investments in infrastructure to transform the nation from an agricultural economy to an industry based economy.

Key development projects with significant multiplier effects to the economy as outlined in the plan include construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR) to link the Dar es Salaam Port with Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika, as well as neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi.

The government is funding construction of the first phase of the line, about 207km from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro which will be constructed by a Turkish Company Yapı Merkezi and Portugal’s Mota-Engil under a turnkey contract at a cost of 1.2bn US dollars.

The government has also lined Mchuchuma Coal Mining and Liganga Iron Ore Mining, a 3bn US dollar project which includes construction of a 600MW coal-fired power station and an iron plant expected to make Tanzania the third largest African producer of iron ore and generate 32,000 jobs.

Other flagship projects include revamping of the national carrier, Air Tanzania Company Limited, to boost tourism and air transport sectors. The government purchased two bombardier aircrafts for the national carrier last year and has made initial payment for four more aircrafts as part of plans to enable it recapture its lost glory and take back its market share from rivals.

The plans also involve construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Lindi Region, establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Tanga, Bagamoyo, Kigoma, Ruvuma and Mtwara; establishment of Kurasini Logistic Centre; and procurement of new and rehabilitation of existing ships for Victoria, Tanganyika, and Nyasa lakes.

Members of Parliament interviewed by this paper expressed optimism that the forthcoming budget will help the government accomplish projects outlined in the Five Year Development Plan, which is aimed at transforming the nation from agricultural led economy to a semi-industrial economy by 2025.

Prof Anna Tibaijuka (Muleba South, CCM) expressed positivity that the 2017/2018 budget will be able to accomplish development projects that will speed up transformation from agricultural economy to semiindustrial economy. “I have positive forward looking attitude. President Magufuli is a man of action, a man of deeds.

“He wants to accomplish projects outlined in the development plan. He is focused in infrastructure development to provide the base for expanding the economy. So, I am optimistic the budget will live up to expectations,” she said.

Mzee George Mkuchika, (Newala, CCM) said he was also positive that the budget will meet the targets of boosting economic growth and development through heavy public investment in infrastructure development.

“We can’t build an industrial economy without developing infrastructure. We must have reliable roads and railway network to transport raw materials to feed the industries. So, I hope it will target infrastructure development,” he said.

The Newala MP said he also expects that the budget will focus on improving health and education and expanding access to water and electricity in rural areas. Dr Raphael Chegeni (Busega, CCM) said he was also hopeful that the budget will help the nation accomplish projects outlined in the development plan, but said it will be vital for the government to focus on more expansion of tax base and greater tax simplification to boost revenue.

“We need a strategy to expand the tax base, to include activities in the informal sector and make it simple to pay to enhance compliance,” he said, adding that when taxes become too many and complex, compliance goes down.

Dr Chegeni also said the government needs to control the national debt to sustainable levels as it keeps on rising when the nation seeks foreign funds for infrastructure development.

According to him, little remains in the budget for development activities as the wage bill and servicing of the national debt eat up a big chunk of government revenue. Dr Chegeni added that the government needs to address liquidity squeeze challenges to stimulate the micro-economy

Source:Daily News

June 8, 2017
Philippines: 10 soldiers killed in misdirected air raid

{As battles rage in Marawi against ISIL-linked fighters, errant military strikes kill 10 soldiers, defence minister says.}

Ten Philippines soldiers were killed by “friendly” fire in a military air raid during efforts to take back a southern city sieged by fighters, the defence minister said on Thursday.

Seven other soldiers were wounded on Wednesday when two air force SF-260 close air support planes dropped bombs on a target in the heart of Marawi City, Delfin Lorenzana told reporters. The first plane hit the target but the second missed.

“It’s very sad to be hitting our own troops,” Lorenzana said. “There must be a mistake somewhere, either someone directing from the ground, or the pilot.”

The Philippine armed forces have been using a combination of ground operations by soldiers and helicopters air raids to try to dislodge Maute rebels linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, who have occupied parts of Marawi City for eight days.

The Maute group has proven to be a fierce enemy, clinging on to the heart of Marawi City through days of air strikes the military has said are “surgical” and on known rebel targets.

The deaths of the soldiers takes the number of security forces killed to 38, with 19 civilians and 120 rebel fighters killed in the battles in Marawi over the past nine days.

Tens of thousands of people have fled the fighting.

Lorenzana, the minister, said fighters who were Saudi, Malaysian, Indonesian, Yemeni and Chechen were among eight foreigners killed fighting with the Maute rebels.

In an earlier text message to reporters, he said of the “friendly fire” incident: “Sometimes that happens. Sometimes the fog of war … The coordination was not properly done so we hit our own people.”

‘Relentless air strikes’

Marawi, a mostly Muslim-populated city of 200,000 people, lies about 800km south of the capital, Manila.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in the south throughout mid-July after the fighters went on a deadly rampage in Marawi last week, following an unsuccessful military raid to capture Ismilon Hapilon – a veteran Filipino fighter regarded as the local ISIL leader.

“Since the Philippine government announced martial law, there have been relentless air strikes, ‘surgical air strikes,’ as the Philippine military described it,” Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan, reporting from the outskirts of Marawi City, said.

“There have been organisations and civilians here who have been asking the government to stop the air strikes, simply because of the danger they pose for civilians.”

More than 2,000 people are estimated to be trapped in the conflict zones in Marawi, fearing for their lives amid violence by fighters and military air raids.

Source:Al Jazeera

June 1, 2017
Respect Rights to unlock aid, Bujumbura told

{The European Union has asked Burundi to allow the UN Human Rights Office to resume operations in the country to give negotiations on Brussels lifting its suspension on aid against Bujumbura a fighting chance.}

The activities of the office were suspended by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s government in October last year, leaving the tracking of excesses against citizens and independent organisations to non-governmental organisations that operate from outside Burundi.

“We have told the authorities the first step is to resume co-operation with the office, because the monitoring by NGOs outside the country is quite different from the reality,” a diplomatic source told The EastAfrican.

Burundi suspended co-operation with the United Nations Human Rights Office after the release of a report by a UN investigation on Burundi that indicated widespread and systematic violations of human rights in the country by the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling CNND-FDD party.

The government rejected the report, terming it biased and influenced by the EU in order to destabilise Burundi. Critics say the Imbonerakure is a militia that is used by the government to intimidate people holding views that are contrary to the official government position.

Source:The East African

May 22, 2017