The donation is to support the Ministry of Health and health institutions during the response against COVID-19.
An announcement signed by Mutaganda Eric Herbez, ASSIMPER president, stated that health institutions will receive fuel cards to use at petrol stations. The announcement reads:
“During these critical times, ASSIMPER found it a necessity to assist health institutions as they run daily to the rescue of patients and to conduct sensitization activities.”
Akumuntu Joseph, ASSIMPER executive secretary told IGIHE that it is the responsibility of the private sector to assist the government as we strive to eradicate coronavirus.
“The virus has affected business in general but particularly for private institutions. It is our duty and a necessity to contribute to stopping it for business activities to resume.”
Of the 56,000 litres of fuel, Merez petroleum donated 5000 litres, Engen 5000 litres , Discentre 5000 litres and Mount Meru Petroleum 5000 litres.
Source Oil donated 5000 litres, Energy Solutions Ltd (Enes) 5000 litres, Gaz Oil 4000 litres, SP 10 000 litres , Hashi Energy 5000 litres, Black Star 3000 litres, Mogas 3000 litres and Kobil donated 1000 litres.
In a message posted on Twitter on March 28th, 2020, Shyaka said that food donations will be distributed in all villages under the coordination of sectors and district administrators. “We will visit every home with food donations and sectors administrations will assist us to identify which families cannot afford life necessities during this period.”
Disadvantaged families are usually offered support through Vision 2020 Umurenge Program (VUP), an integrated local development program to accelerate poverty eradication.
Shyaka said that people who wish to support poor families can reach out to their local leaders with their donations.
Currently, 54 people have tested positive with coronavirus in Rwanda. They are predominantly people with recent travel history.
On March 28th, 2020, President Kagame addressed the nation to address the coronavirus pandemic. He thanked Rwandans and especially medical staff for the support they have shown ever since coronavirus reached Rwanda.
President Kagame called upon Rwandans to keep observing directives from the ministry of health to prevent further spread and loss of lives. “Relevant institutions are working tirelessly to help the most vulnerable members of society.”
Nyamutera Innocent, Gitega sector executive secretary said that people who relied on daily income to support their families need help during the lockdown. Food donations have already reached some sectors and local administration will supervise how they are allocated. Donated food include beans, rice, maize flour, porridge flour, macaroni,
In an interview with RBA, Dr. Ngamije Daniel, Minister of Health said that anyone who has developed symptoms of coronavirus should reach out to medical service providers.
” We have adequate facilities, trained personnel, and equipment to treat coronavirus patients. Quarantine is not a prison and patients who have tested positive and were admitted in the hospital can still talk to their families. No one should hold back from reporting to a health care facility in case they develop COVID-19 symptoms.”
Ngamije said there are currently 6 facilities equipped enough to treat coronavirus patients including 2 wards allocated to patients who have tested positive for coronavirus and 4 other wards for patients who are waiting for their test results.
Medical care for coronavirus cases are free.
“Patients rooms are equipped with a double-sized bed, a bathroom, and a television set. We ensure they receive absolute comfort while they are being treated.”
Patients who report to health care facilities with coronavirus symptoms are admitted and given their own rooms and receive three meals a day. In case tests come out positive, they are moved to the 2 wards allocated to patients who tested positive.
When tests come out negative, patients are required to practice self-isolation for 14 days and medical care providers follow up on them constantly given the nature of the virus. Symptoms can appear between 2 and 10 days after contracting the virus, but it may be up to 24 days.
Ngamije confirmed that all treatments are provided for free and that mothers with young children are given separate rooms while the mother is being treated.
Rwanda is one of the few countries which don’t charge coronavirus patients for treatment. In other countries like Kenya, patients pay up to $1200 for treatment in quarantine.
The ministry of health stated that most patients who have been admitted range between 20 to 45 years. Only a few are above 60.
Ngamije stated that “All patients are in stable condition and some will be discharged from hospital starting next week.”
On March 26th, 2020, the Ministry of Health announced that 50 people have tested positive for coronavirus so far. Patients are predominantly people with recent travel history. At least 900 people who had close contact with infected patients have been tested.
The G20 leaders meeting today cannot afford to ignore calls for a debt moratorium for African countries in order to save lives now and give a lifeline to the many Africans whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the pandemic.
Speaking today ahead of the virtual Summit, Peter Kamalingin, Oxfam Pan Africa Director said: “This is the moment that Africa needs to use all its existing resources to cope with the emergency. It makes no sense for African countries to transfer much-needed resources to foreign banks, developed nations with the capacity to cope with the pandemic or international institutions.”
Africa is facing the worst health and economic crisis in decades amidst declining tax revenues, diminishing official development assistance, and rising debt obligations and costs. The slump in commodity prices and disruption of global supply chains, especially in China, as a result of the pandemic, is already hitting African economies hardest.
Calls for debt relief this week from the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) must be welcome as a first step, but do not meet the needs of African people in this life-threatening crisis.
The proposal by the WB and IMF that “only bilateral debts need to be suspended” will guarantee much-needed money continues to flow out of the continent (multilateral and private lenders hold most of the debts).
Africa Finance Ministers make more sense requesting a coordinated waiver on all interest payments, amounting to US$44bn for 2020, which could provide more fiscal space for governments as they respond to the pandemic. Even that is too small.
No African country can afford to make any debt repayments in 2020 – whether owed to bilateral creditors, multilateral institutions or private lenders without putting millions of African lives at risk.
The new money will not be available for refinancing at least in the short term and most likely in the medium term. A universal debt repayment suspension needs to be put in place to allow African countries to focus in strengthening their public health systems to adequately respond to the COVID-19 crisis and provide social protection to the most vulnerable. Suspending all debt payments is the fastest way to keep money in countries and free up resources to tackle the health and economic crises.
“Decisions need to be taken now, any delay only serves to worsen the already fragile situation and make the recovery process more expensive. Debt relief free from conditionalities is the best way to leave money in the hands of African governments to make decisions now” added Mr. Kamalingin.
The measures that the G20 takes today must be those that ensure African governments have the resources needed to respond to the crisis. The COVID-19 crisis is collapsing health systems and threatening economies in the developed world, and they are using unlimited monetary expansion, something never seen before, to address their own needs. Africa also needs a global response the like of which our world has never seen.
{{Contacts}}
Spokespersons available. To arrange for interviews contact:
Oxfam HQ Joyous A.L. Begisen Media and Communications Lead Oxfam Pan Africa Programme Mobile: +254 701 849 522 Email: Joyous.begisen@oxfam.org
Oxfam HQ Joab Okanda Financing for Development and Inequality Campaigns Advisor Oxfam Pan Africa Programme Mobile: +254 726 908 931 Email: Joab.Okanda@oxfam.org
For more information and current updates, please follow: @OxfamPanAfrica, @Oxfam
With medical facilities running low on ventilators and protective masks and hampered by limited diagnostic testing capacity, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, rose beyond 1,200.
“Any scenario that is realistic will overwhelm the capacity of the healthcare system,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference. He described the state’s projected shortfall in ventilators – machines that support the respiration of people have cannot breathe on their own – as “astronomical.”
“It’s not like they have them sitting in the warehouse,” Cuomo added. “There is no stockpile available.”
The announcement published by RRA on March 25th, 2020 stated that “In light of the challenges faced by taxpayers in filing their tax returns due to measures put in place to fight COVID-19, the management of RRA informs all taxpayers that deadlines for filing and paying income tax has been extended.”
Large taxpayers are required to submit to RRA not later than March 27th, 2020, the name of one staff in charge of filing tax returns in order to receive authorization to access RRA offices. The name of the concerned staff will be submitted to Drocelle Mukashyaka via drocella.mukashyaka@rra.gov.rw
For small and medium taxpayers, the deadline for filing and paying income tax for 2019 has been extended to April 30th, 2020.
Bizimana Ruganintwali Pascal, Commissioner General for RRA has urged taxpayers not to postpone tax payment because deadlines have been extended and encouraged them to use digital channels.
According to the law governing income tax, deadlines were set on March 31st, 2020 but due to obstacles posed by coronavirus, it has been extended.
RRA reminded taxpayers that filing and paying taxes can be done online using e-tax or M-declaration.
In a bid to further facilitate taxpayers, RRA recently announced that for 30 days, taxpayers will not be requested to pay the usual 25% advance on tax starting March 23rd, 2020.
In an announcement published via Twitter, RBA explained that the decision was taken to support the government of Rwanda measures to restrict movement in the country as a preventive solution against COVID-19.
Equity Bank has been the first to close less busier branches.
Hannington Namara, Equity Bank Rwanda Managing Director said that the Bank will close doors for 3 among 8 branches it has in Kigali. Branches with less customers will be halt operations until further notice.
“We will start by temporarily closing Gisozi-Gakinjiro branch since it has relatively less customers. Giporoso and Equity headquarters in town will also be closed while Remera-Gisimenti and Nyarugenge branches will keep operating.”
Namara encouraged Equity Bank Rwanda customers to use digital channels in all possible transactions to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In an announcement which was signed by Robin Bairstow, RBA Chairman states that ” RBA has advised the banks to temporarily close some of its branches in the country but more specifically the ones located in Kigali in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. RBA continues to monitor closely the situation and will inform its members, staff, customers and stakeholders on COVID-19 updates.”
RBA stated that banks will inform their customers on further steps through usual communication channels.
After the announcement was published, many people were confused as to which banks would halt operations but Banks administration have cleared the misunderstanding.
The government of Rwanda has taken many preventive measures since patient zero was identified including closing all public and private schools as well as higher education institutions and prohibiting public gatherings.
The ministry of health advises Rwandans to keep observing preventive measures to counter further spread of the virus and to call the toll-free number 114 to report any symptoms.
Banks services are currently operational with a focus on subscribing more customers to online banking services.
Kalisa Amin Shalid is one of the two Rwandans who are stranded in Kenya along with 61 other travelers of different nationalities.
They spend their days and sleep at the airport and were given explicit instructions not to move out. The Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services has confiscated their passports to reinforce the instructions.
“We have pleaded with the Kenyan Directorate of Immigration Services to at least let us look for a hotel and wait for the 30-day air travel ban to end but they declined our request.”
Kalisa told IGIHE that he and the fellow Rwandan whose name was omitted were coming from Harare, Zimbabwe and that they are required to pay $1200 for all the time they will be kept in quarantine. “We were told we will be paying $90 for every day we will spend in quarantine and honestly speaking, we cannot afford it.”
Robert Masozera, Ambassador of Rwanda to Kenya told IGIHE that they have tried to negotiate with Kenyan authorities to release the 2 Rwandans but in vain.
“New preventive measures state that all travelers coming from endemic countries and transiting through Kenya will be subjected to mandatory quarantine. We tried to negotiate with immigration services in Kenya but they stood their ground and completely declined our request. The immigration services confiscated passports of all travelers who tried to oppose instructions.”
Amb Masozera said that stricter preventive measures have been implemented in Kenya to prevent the spread of coronavirus and that even some Kenyan nationals are stranded at the airport.
“We are in difficult times and we have tried our best to negotiate better conditions to no avail.”
Currently, 28 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Kenya while 1 person recovered from the virus.
Violators of the guidelines and orders are facing different punitive actions including fines, imprisonment, and a stern warning.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry [MINICOM], has carried out an inspection in the City of Kigali, Southern and Northern provinces to establish whether traders do comply with price ceilings and buy-rations set for especially food commodities.
The ministry has found that there has been an unprecedented rise in prices for all foodstuffs, hygiene products followed by the use of substandard weighing scales.
Inspectors from the Ministry have also established that there was much hoarding [storing of goods in anticipation of higher prices] of merchandise in different stores across the country. Other inconsistencies that have been identified include traders issuing invoices with a lower value in comparison to the actual cash received.
City of Kigali, Muhanga and Musanze traders that have breached commercial and standards guidelines have, between March 20 and March 25, been slapped with fines totaling to well over Rwf4 million.
During the six-day inspection,109 businesses were found culpable to flouting issued coronavirus-preventive guidelines. Coronavirus causes COVID-19.
Since Minicom began this audit, it has so far fined 153 businesses and traders and collected Rwf 8,745,000 in fines.
The App Store is an online store powered by Apple where users can download apps for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple TV and have them installed on your iOS device.
currently, Apple offers its services only to 155 regions or countries around the world.
Rwandan developers said the upgrade will allow them to develop applications both for Android and iOS devices since they did not have the required licenses before.
Most applications developed in Rwanda are only compatible with Android devices. People in Rwanda who use Apple devices had to acquire an Apple ID from another country bu changing locations to have access to some applications.
Although no precise date was mentioned, Apple advised developers to update their information by April 10th, 2020.
Habineza Moussa, CEO of KHENZ, a software developing company said Rwanda was isolated when it came to developing applications compatible to iOS devices but that once they sign license agreements, the issue will be solved.
Habineza added that iOS users in Rwanda will be able to use mobile payment and digital wallet services via Apple Pay.
Apple is an American multinational technology company headquartered in California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.
Apart from Rwanda, 19 other countries will have access to the App Store including Afghanistan, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, Maldives, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cameroon, Iraq, Kosovo, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Tonga, Zambia, and Vanuatu.
