Author: Elie Imanishimwe

Yong Feng and Bonanza Trading Company’s Deputy CEO, Andy Zhang said that, as business people, they have been very successful doing business in Rwanda thanks to political stability, conducive climate and the hospitality of Rwandan citizens.

He also said that they have been excited by the mutual health insurance scheme ‘mutuelle de santé’ which is universal. He said that it is a good program since every citizen can access health services for Rwf3000 per year.

“We realised that as people who do business in a beautiful country like Rwanda, we should contribute to help the citizens so that they may continue having strength and nation-building ideas. This is why we have come to do the communal work and help 100 most vulnerable families comprised of 520 people by paying for health insurance for them between 2018-2019 so that they may be able to access health services.” He said.

Andy noted that when they started operating in Rwanda, they learned that there is a special communal activity every last Saturday of the month. They chose to join residents in a communal activity in Muko Sector to demonstrate that the programs of the government are good and that every Rwandan and foreigner should support them because they are intended for the development of the country, Africa and whole the world.

Muko Sector Executive Secretary, Theobald Kayiranga told IGIHE that the contribution is going to help the families because some of them have failed to pay for health insurance owing to natural disasters such as heavy rains that destroyed their crop during the last agricultural season.

“The last agricultural season was not good in general because heavy rains destroyed the crops that most citizens would have sold to pay for health insurance. Paying for health insurance for 520 people is a great contribution,” he said.

Kayiranga noted that regarding health insurance subscription, in 2017, Muko was estimated at 89.4%. However, he noted that they have been lagging behind in 2018 owing to the rains that destroyed wheat, maize and beans the cash crops citizens rely on for paying for health insurance.

MPs made this remark Wednesday while undergoing an induction course where they were being trained about various subjects such as functioning of the Parliament especially the chamber of deputies, various government programs as well as procedures and use of technology to fulfil their responsibilities, among others.

When the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning briefed MPs on the formulation, analysis and ratification of the national budget, deputies urged the government to consider citizen participation in policies formulation.

MP Eugène Barikana said that even until now citizens are not included in policy making and implementation enough. He asked the government to make further efforts and consult local population in the decisions that affect and are intended for them.

“People make efforts to design the national budget, but do not invest in formulating policies. Citizen participation at the village and cell levels is not sufficiently thought through. More efforts need to be made because policies start from the local population,” he said.

MP Odette Uwamariya said that the program of citizen participation in the development of policies has been in place for long but that it should be improved to involve citizens and hence raising their role in their implementation.

MP Winifrida Mpembyemungu asked the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning about the existing measures to involve citizens in policy elaboration and implementation so that the national budget is used as an infrastructure that has to be increasingly harnessed.

He went on to say that the involvement is sometimes happens but is not used enough while the goal is to improve the welfare of citizens.

State Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Claudine Uwera admitted that elaborating policies should be sufficiently enhanced.

“Revisions are being made to strengthen policy making starting from the village level. Citizens should be involved because they play a role in sustaining what has been achieved.” She said.

She told MPs that they also have a role to play by sensitizing citizens to participate in the elaboration of the national budget.

In early 2018, Rwanda Governance Board announced that their survey revealed that citizens are not involved in policy implementation and are considered to be ignorant.
Despite citizen participation in government policies still being low, RGB states that some positive steps have been taken in some areas such as providing political opinion at 90%, and finding home-grown solutions that is at 85%.

Francine Uwera Havugimana from the Private Sector said that this is part of JADF’s week activities that started with the special communal activity on Saturday September 22 to build 132 houses for the vulnerable families and those whose houses were destroyed by natural disasters.

It was also part of JADF to raise public awareness and engage them on paying for health insurance before expiry of a 3-month extended period for those who were not able to pay on time. The campaign will be concluded on September 30.

Some of the stakeholders in the district that took lead in contributing for mutuelle de sante are; AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Rwanda which subscribed for 3,013 individuals, Espoir de l’Avenir for 300 people and Direct Aid.

Havugimana further said that all the manifested interventions were done to demonstrate the district’s commitment towards improving welfare of its residents.

“We committed to grow by 10 percent from 60 percent where the district stands, to 70 percent by 30th September 2018,” she said.

Nyarugenge District JADF also raised Rwf 50,384,322 to build 132 houses to accommodate vulnerable families whose houses were destroyed by natural disasters during the rainy season. The houses are near completion in Kigali Sector, Rwesero Cell.

SORAS, an insurance services group, contributed Rwf10 million to the housing project, ER Rwanda, a petroleum products supplying company Rwf6 million as well furniture for 132 houses. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) contributed Rwf34 million, while Bank of Kigali (BK), COGEBANK and others say that they are ready to contribute to the remaining activities.

According to a statement signed by the governor and chairman of MPC, John Rwangomba, inflation remains low and stable while exchange rate pressures are moderate. It was revealed during the Monetary Policy Committee which met on Tuesday at the Central Bank (BNR).

The global economic outlook remains positive despite increasing uncertainties
The global economic outlook remains positive although future developments are increasingly becoming uncertain. Inflationary pressures in the global economy are moderate but expected to rise. Global inflation is projected at 3.5 percent in 2018 up from 3.0 percent in 2017. While monetary policy in many developing countries is expansionary, the US is expected to continue tightening which could lead to a strengthening of the US dollar. However, this will have no significant impact to the domestic economy or the Rwandan franc.

{{Good economic performance and stable inflation environment
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Rwanda’s overall economic outlook remains positive. In the first half of 2018, the economy grew by 8.7 percent on average, relative to 2.9 percent in the same period of 2017.In the second quarter of 2018, economic growth was 6.7 percent relative to 4.0 percent in the same period of 2017. Industry, agriculture and services sector grew by 10.0 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively.

Indicators show that economic activity will likely continue to perform well throughout the second half of 2018. The Composite Index of Economic Activities (CIEA) grew in real terms by 13.1 percent in the same period of 2017. While total turnovers grew by 17.0 percent during the first two months of the third quarter of 2018 from 11.7 percent in the same period of 2017. This signals that the economy is on track to achieve the initial annual growth projection of 7.2 percent in 2018.

Inflation remains low and stable. On average, headline inflation eased from 25 percent in August 2018, while core inflation eased from 1.7 percent to 1.6 percent during the same period. In the near term, inflation is projected to remain below the 5.0 percent medium term benchmark.

{{Growing monetary aggregates
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Compared to December 2017, broad money grew by 8.3 percent in August 2018 against 11.0 percent realised in the same period last year. On annual basis, broad money grew by 9.8 percent in August 2018 compared to 16.0 percent in August 2017 while growth in outstanding credit to the private sector stood at 7.0 percent relative to 7.2 percent during the same period.

{{Exchange rate pressures are subdued
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Between December 2017 and August 2018, the Rwandan franc depreciated by 2.5 percent against the US dollar compared to 1.8 percent and 8.0 percent observed during the same period of 2017 and 2016, respectively. Depreciation by the end of December 2018 is expected to be around 4.0 percent, which is lower than the 4.5 percent initially projected.

In the first 8 months of 2018, export receipts increased by 17.9 percent, while formal imports grew by 7.4 percent. Formal exports cover of formal imports increased to 40.9 percent from 37. 4 percent during the same period.

The announcement was made Sunday by PAM-Rwanda’s chair Protais Musoni, at the organization’s second national congress at the Parliamentary Buildings.

Musoni said that in the ongoing discussions, most religions agreed to a book containing teachings that do not compromise Rwandan values.

“We have partnership with religions, most of which have now agreed to publish a book with teachings that do not compromise Rwandan and African values but teaches them to like their good things and develop them. This book will be strong when it is published,” he said.

Religions have been accused of abolishing many practices things that were a foundation of Rwandan unity and development in pre-colonial times. Some religions prohibit cross-religious marriages or attending ceremonies of families with different creed.

Other religions, in their teachings, tend to show that the good comes from Asia and elsewhere they have origins.

In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Gahini Anglican Diocese Bishop Alexis Birindabagabo who is also the chairman of Peace Plan said that what is necessary is taking time and examine carefully if there are teachings that still compromise or belittle Rwandan culture through religions.

He cited an example of Gahini Anglican Diocese which is undeniably regarded as a holy place because of the prayers that changed people spiritually in 1936.

“I may say that, for instance, Gahini is a holy place because of the holy spirit that came down here. Catholic church congregants will tell you that Kibeho is a holy place because it is where the virgin Mary appeared. There are other indubitable physical proofs. We have not yet replaced the idea that Jesus was born in Israel. For Muslims, Mohamed was born in Mecca.” He said.

However, Birindabagabo says that after holding the discussions and illustrating the practices or beliefs that still undermine African identity, some corrections will be made.

“We changed a lot of things before they could even request us to. We will even so look at other things, and if we find that there are things we must change, we will change them. ” He said.

President of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission Bishop John Rucyahana in May said that some religious teachings hamper the development of Africa.

“What is wrong with Africa is the way we interpret the teachings and how we think of ourselves […] Those who are lazy and think that they will go on the mountaintop instead of working to feed their families That is delusion. We have to teach people that those who do not work will not earn anything.” He said.

Pan-Africanism is a worldwide intellectual movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all people of African descent. Based on a common fate going back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement extends beyond continental Africans, with a substantial support base among the African diaspora in the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. It is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social, and political progress and aims to “unify and uplift” people of African descent.

Agaciro Development Fund was mooted during the 2011 National Dialogue and was launched in August 2012 to mobilize public savings to achieve self-reliance and accelerate socio-economic development.

Mr Mugabe explains that this investment was achieved by buying shares and giving loans to banks which in turn earned Agaciro Development Fund interest.

He says that investments worth Rwf51 billion are equivalent to 70 percent.

“Now the Fund has slightly over Rwf51billion of which 70% is in value bonds to be loaned to banks; 30% are in shares that we buy from different markets.”

Mugabe assures that “Agaciro Development Fund” is well managed.

“There is hope because the Fund is well managed. We don’t invest money anyhow. We first conduct a study of where we are going to invest, assess risks we may encounter and how much money we will invest,” he said, adding that they also look at how the investment profitability after which they take investment decision.

Mugabe further explains that the fund started with Rwf18.5 million. Now, it has more than Rwf50 billion.

“I think you probably know that when the fund started in 2011 and officially approved in the following year, it had Rwf18.5 million. Now, we are at Rwf51billion. So, we have earned more than more than Rwf10 billion in six years. Obviously, a big effort was made in investing money.

Efforts were also invested to increase Agaciro Development Fund assets. Mugabe says that the government is still doing its best to grow the Fund.

“You heard that the government entrusted Agaciro Development Fund with all the shares it has in all the companies. The fund will be managing all the government shares. This shows that the fund has the potential to multiply its assets. In two or three years from now, it will be a prominent fund in Africa.” he said.

Rwandans are encouraged to continue putting money into the Fund in order to boost it and keep up the momentum. Supporting this fund means supporting the sovereignty of Rwandans.

Remains of eight victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have been found in a house of a resident in Mizingo village, Nyirabigogo Sector, Rubavu District, discovered by people who were emptying a toilet in the house of Jean Baptiste Hakomerimana. The house belonged to Boniface Bizimana prior to and during the genocide.

Kanzenze Sector Executive Secretary Monique Nyiransengiyumva told Radio Rwanda that the remains were discovered Saturday last week.

“Remains of eight victims have been found in that latrine. On seeing them, the householder immediately informed us,” she said.

One of the survivors in that area, Charles Sebikumi said that among the remains, he was able to identify his aunt but said many more were killed from there than the remains that have been discovered.

“There was an infamous barrier where all Tutsis from their hideouts in the forests were brought and killed. Residents declined to report and help us to know the whereabouts of our people who were killed. That is why we must keep on searching,” he said.

Kanzenze Sector authorities have appealed to people who lived in the sector as well as any other people who may know where the remains of Tutsis who were killed in the genocide were buried to report so that they also are given befitting burial.

Nsabimana who has been in this position for three years, announced Sunday that he wants to pursue further studies.

President of Rubavu District Advisory Council, Lambert Dushimimana, told IGIHE that he got Nsabimana’s resignation letter and admitted that there were certain problems with his job.

“In fact, he resigned and we have received the letter of his resignation. However, he resigned willingly. We are going to see what the law says. But he wrote to the advisory council, so we must respond to his request in not more than 30 days,” he said.

However, Mr Dushimimana said that in his responsibilities as an executive, there are some areas where he performed poorly. So, according to him Nsabimana might have realised that he is not able and decided to quit. Nsabimana resigns amid reports of problems among suppliers who complained of unfair payment and those who accused Rubavu District of refusing to pay them.

Speaking at the opening of a meeting preceding the third annual workshop in Kigali, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) Commissioner General Richard Tusabe said that business is constantly changing in both public and private companies. Thus, as auditors, they should always understand business.

“We have realized that the whole world is running fast in technology. That speed is a critical and trending problem. Auditors also need to be aware of protectionism, cyber-attacks and data theft. These are the things you should watch closely.”

Mr Tusabe said that auditing is practiced everywhere in the world and it is in that regard that the institute is in charge of bringing together those in the profession to examine current trends and what they help institutions.

“When you look at where we are in the development of our country, there is no way you can keep up this speed and boost the economy and development without adequate auditors in both public and private companies.”

Gerald Nyangezi, the president of the Association of Internal Auditors of Rwanda said that as people who seek to build professional auditing, an annual meeting is held to remind themselves their responsibility in governance, how they may help in different ways within their companies to achieve good leadership and ensure its beneficiaries are taken into consideration in different programs.

“When we pioneered this idea to establish this institute, there was a problem of skills and capacity among the practitioners of this profession. They would graduate with average skills but without professionalism.”
Currently, Rwanda counts about 60 professional auditors while in general, 500 practice this profession.