Author: John Mbaraga

Kaboneka who was speaking Friday while closing a three-day local leaders retreat that took place in Kigali requested council members to exercise their powers in taking decisions serving people’s interests.

He said that some councils work properly, but others fail to take decisions due to own interests like personal interests in district tenders among others.

“There is a problem where some interests collide with decisions that would have been taken and end up by delaying them. I hope that this will change,” he said.

He said that both council and executive members should serve people, listen and solve their problems.

He requested leaders to change their mindsets and encourage people to work towards self-reliance.

The retreat brought together over 1300 leaders including Sector Executive Secretaries, District and City of Kigali Council Members, District Executive Secretaries, Provincial Governors and Executive Secretaries.

In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of Senate, President Trump said that the government of Rwanda continues to impose barriers to United States Trade which affects the exports of apparel products.

“I am providing advance notification of my intent to suspend the application of duty free treatment to all African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)-eligible goods in the apparel sector for the Republic of Rwanda 60 days after the date of this notification,” the letter reads.

“The Government of Rwanda continues to impose barriers to United States trade, specifically, barriers affecting certain United States exports of apparel products,” he said.

According to Trump, in spite of intense engagement by United States officials with the Government of Rwanda, the United States has been unable to resolve this matter.

“I have therefore determined that the Government of Rwanda is not making continual progress toward the elimination of barriers to United States trade and investment, as required by section 104 of the AGOA,” he said.

In the letter, Trump says that the suspension of duty-free treatment described above is a more appropriate response in these circumstances than the termination of the Government of Rwanda’s designation as a beneficiary Sub Saharan African country under AGOA, as it promotes the continuation of efforts between the United States and Rwanda to resolve outstanding issues.

“Although the Government of Rwanda has failed to meet critical benchmarks required to address these issues to date, it continues to express an interest in resolving United States concerns,” he noted.

He says that he will continue to assess whether the Government of Rwanda is making continual progress toward the elimination of barriers to United States trade and investment in accordance with the AGOA eligibility requirements, as well as whether this suspension of benefits is effective in promoting compliance with those requirements.

Rwanda Stands firm on banning second hand clothes

In February, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Vincent Munyeshyaka told IGIHE that since Rwanda entered in AGOA, they only exported handicrafts products which did not exceed USD one million for the country per year.

“Actually our business with USA under AGOA is 0.05%. It is a small business which we cannot rely on and develop our industries,” he said.
As a way to promote locally made products, particularly textile and shoes industries, Rwanda has hiked taxes on imported second-hand clothes and shoes in order to weaken them on local market, but promote locally made products under ‘Made in Rwanda’ Programme.

Munyeshyaka said that banning second-hand clothes is in line with the country’s programme to develop industrial sector.

Munyeshyaka said that currently made in Rwanda programme is creating between 20,000 and 21,000 of jobs per year.

He said that the industrial sector comes to the third place in contributing to the development of Rwanda’s economy with 16% after services covering 47% and agriculture 30%.

“Under the move to develop the economy of the country, we need to develop our industry sector. As you know no country has developed without investing in the development of industries,” he said.

In Kigali City, transport fare increased from Rwf20 per kilometer to Rwf22, a 5% increase and from Rwf19 to Rwf21, 7% for a passenger from one city to another.

According to RURA, the transport fare hike follows fuel prices increase, car insurance premiums and investments that have been put in place to improve transportation services in Rwanda.

The Head of Transport at RURA, Emmanuel Asaba Katabarwa said that the new prices will be implemented starting Monday 2nd April.

“Increasing fares of public transport is based on different changes in transportation sector since 2015, these include; fuel prices, speed governors, Cashless payment Tap&Go and car insurance premiums of public transport vehicles,” he said.
Transport fares were last revised November 1st 2015.

According to RURA spokesperson, Anthony Kulamba, the new changes consider the both people’s interests and investors.

“Hiking prices is not in the interests of investors only, but, it is in the interests of consumers for serving them properly,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of Rwanda Persons Transporters Association (ATPR), Eric Ruhumuriza welcomed the move saying that the price of their services had also gone high.

“We thank RURA for considering the level of investment in this sector. We have discussed it based on different new services that have been introduced and fuel prices that continue to increase,” he said.

According to RURA, they are also assessing prices for motorbike and taxi cabs and results from assessment will be made public in the not so distant future.

This marks a significant increase from Rwf6.8 billion in 2016.

The cooperative of security personnel; army, police and Rwanda Correctional Services Officers announced this in the general assembly on Thursday.

Zigama CSS Director General, Maj.Gen. Albert Murasira said that last year was good as they had targeted a profit of Rwf6.3 billion but they exceeded the target.

He attributed the increase to small expenditures as most of their activities are performed by cooperative members. He said that the profit came from providing many loans and good recovery process.

“We tried to use little money in expenditures like in operational process and their wage payments. We also provided many loans and invested in bonds which resulted in earning much profit than we expected,” he explained.

Last year, the cooperative provided loans amounting to Rwf145 billion.

In 2015, the cooperative cut the interest rate on loans from 15% to 13%, which Murasira said increased well-being of members and development of the cooperative.

Members who acquire loans of less than Rwf5 million pay at the interest rate of 13% while those acquiring more than that pay at the interest rate of 15%.

The Chairman of CSS Board of Directors, Dr. James Ndahiro said that the secret behind progressive performance improvementis based on ownership of all members and contribution towards their development.

In a controversial auction that left members of Rwigara family discontented, the court bailiff, Védaste Habimana sold the tobacco at Rwf512 million. The tobacco was bought by Murado Business LTD.

Of the Rwf6 billion the government wants to recover from the Rwigaras, about Rwf5.5 billion is still needed.

Speaking to IGIHE yesterday about the next to be done for government to recover the taxes, RRA Commissioner General, Richard Tusabe said that they will auction more Rwigara properties.

“If the money is not enough, we should seek where to get it. We shall get it from other properties,” he said.

At the tobacco auction yesterday, the Rwigara family was not contented with the value that was given to their properties. They said that the tobacco had a value of around Rwf1 billion.

The family rejected the offer and said that the auction was conducted illegally.
However, Tusabe emphasized that no law was violated in conducting the auction.
“Nothing we can do without following Rwandan laws; everything was done clearly, no procedure was ignored and no law was violated. Nothing that can prove that we violated laws,” he said.

Asked whether it was possible to suspend the auction as stated by laws when property owner is not satisfied with the value at the first day, Tusabe replied; “Let’s do our work, isn’t it?”

Yesterday Rwigara’s daughter, Anne Rwigara who is also the family’s businesses representative requested the court bailiff to stop the auction, but the court bailiff told her to go to court if they were not satisfied.

Auctioned yesterday are the stocks o tobacco that had been seized last year.
The auctioned stocks include different types of tobacco such as Premier Filter (5553 cartons); Filter Star (1033 cartons); Filter Star King (328 cartons); Premier Super Menthol (191cartons) and Filter Star Soft (90 cartons). Each carton contains 5000 pieces of tobacco making a total of over 35 million pieces.

A Police statement says that yesterday, a joint team of officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Ministry of Health, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other stakeholders carried out a physical verification visit to refugee camps housing Burundian refugees in Bugesera, Nyanza and Rusizi districts.

“As refugees gathered for the exercise, their leaders started to incite them to reject any assistance from these institutions,” the statement reads.

“As a result of instigating violence among fellow refugees, 33 ringleaders were identified and arrested. They include 31 at Gashora Transit Centre-Bugesera; one at Nyarushishi Transit Centre-Rusizi; and one at Muyira Transit Centre-Nyanza,” the statement reads.

According to Police, the incitement, an act punishable by the penal code, was endangering the lives of refugees in the camp, as well as that of officials.

Police say that now, the situation in all the camps is calm.

Early this month, over 2500 Burundian refugees entered in the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The refugees refused all food assistance processed from industries.

The ruling coalition, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) on Tuesday elected Dr. Ahmed as a leader from the country’s largest ethnic group the Oromo. Being party leader paves the way for him to become Prime Minister once approved by the parliament.

“Made a tel call with Dr. Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia to congratulate him and through him entire EPRDF as well as people of Ethiopia for selecting him as able compromise PM yet to be confirmed by parliament soon!!,” Kagame said in a tweet.

Kagame congratulated Abiy on behalf of AU.

“As chairman of the AU, on behalf of other African leaders wanted to express our solidarity with the Ethiopian people and their leaders as they continue to find from within and among themselves solutions to the recent political problems they faced!,” the tweet reads.

“Looking very much forward to having Ethiopia continue to play its historical central role effectively and soon on our Continent!!” Kagame said.

Once approved, Dr. Ahmed will take over replacing former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned last month. Desalegn said that his resignation was vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.

Kagame was speaking Wednesday to local leaders that are in Kigali for a three-day retreat.

The retreat brings together over 1300 leaders including Sector Executive Secretaries, District and City of Kigali Council Members, District Executive Secretaries, Provincial Governors and Executive Secretaries.

Speaking about persistent problems and leaders working from the office and end up without seeing those problems addressed, the Head of State said that they should seek solutions or provide explanations to the people.

“You should leave offices and reach people, discuss their problems and orient them. Sometimes people think that problems are there because the government does not care about them, but, that’s not the reason; there should be a response or clarification of the problem. That is our responsibility,” he said.

Kagame said that leaders should rethink about poor implementation of their responsibilities and then take decisions.

“First of all if you take time and reassess yourself on why you don’t fulfill your responsibilities or why they always remind you about what you should have done, it helps to change cultures, mindsets or working conditions. You should challenge yourselves on what to change to serve people better,” he said.

Kagame said that when they fail to assess themselves, the result from poor working conditions affect people.

“We will not keep you there doing things which can cause loss or bad effects to other people, you must be held accountable about it,” he said.