IGIHE

Category: Opinion

  • VISA, Gov’t Announce Partnership

    Visa Inc. and the Government of Rwanda announced a wide-reaching Charter of Collaboration to develop localized solutions to extend access to financial services to local and international consumers throughout the country.

    The partnership was announced today at a joint press conference attended by the Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, Ambassador Claver Gatete and Elizabeth Buse, Group President, Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Visa Inc.

    According to the press statement, the partnership is a step in the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 plan, the country’s blueprint to become a middle-income nation within the coming decade, with per capita income of $1000 by 2020, up from $220 in 2000.

    At the event, Ambassador Gatete said: “In all economies, well developed financial systems are essential for sustained economic growth. The partnership between the Government of Rwanda and Visa is an opportunity to increase efficiency and inclusion through the use of electronic financial services.”

    Amb. Gatete also announced, “This partnership is aligned with the National Bank of Rwanda’s strategy to reduce the widespread usage of cash and increase liquidity within the banking system, which ultimately reduces interest rates and improves price stability.”

    Buse described Visa’s role in the partnership, “We are deploying our unique expertise and assets bringing the benefits of electronic payments and banking to emerging markets like Rwanda.”

    “By working with governments and stakeholders around the world to better understand the challenges of the underserved, we can adapt our approach to ensure that we are not only sharing our payments expertise, but also delivering meaningful local programs that meet the needs of governments and their citizens. In the long-run we believe this will also open up new growth opportunities for Visa.”

    Noting the importance of government partnerships to Visa’s global strategy, Joseph W. Saunders, Chairman and CEO of Visa Inc., at the event said: “Visa believes that everyone has the right to have access to basic financial and payment services, and we are very pleased to be able to work with a government as committed to this vision as the Rwandan government.

    Partnerships such as this are the key to delivering the promise of economic growth and financial inclusion that we know electronic payment systems can provide.”

    The success of that plan relies on a number of pillars, including shifting to a knowledge-based economy, private sector development and improving infrastructure.

    The statement also reveals, “Creating public-private partnerships is also a key component of Visa’s global growth strategy. The company’s aim to generate 50 percent of its revenue from markets outside of the United States by 2015 will partly be enabled through its ability to build, buy and deploy new technologies that extend its products to geographies where electronic payments are limited today, such as Rwanda.”

    The Charter of Collaboration encompasses 12 initiatives structured around three key areas identified by the Government of Rwanda and Visa as vital to the development of a fully-inclusive financial system; Lay the Foundations for Electronic Payments, Enable Rwanda to take advantage of modern technologies to reach Rwandans who are under-served by traditional payments infrastructure, and capacity building.

    Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency.

  • S.Korea, Rwanda To Partner For Internet Security

    Current information has indicated that President Paul Kagame’s participation in the Aid effectiveness forum in S.Korea may also benefit Rwanda to partner with by the summit hosting country in Internet security.

    This followed President Kagame’s visit to the Global electronic company SamSung and Korea Internet security Agency (KISA).

    According to Paulkagame.com, Partick Nyirishema, Head of Rwanda Development Board Information Technology department, president’s visit to these technological giants was very instrumental for Rwanda an aspiring ICT hub in the region.

    Nyirishema believes a country cannot invest in the use of the internet if security in ICT cannot be secured which would lead to loss of trust and credibility.

    “KISA is indeed a strategic partner, and they are going to be helping us to build cyber security capability so that as we strive to fast track out technological capabilities in ICT, we do that with security in mind and putting the right measure in place,”Nyirishema said.

    “We are going to be partnering with them to put the right measures in place and build our own capacity for cyber security.”He added.

    He also said that bSamSung electronic giant will partner with Rwanda in skills development in ICT excellence.

    “To have Samsung as a partner would be strategic because they have very high levels of expertise and competence. We are looking at partnering in the area of skills development, to help us build skills in certain areas we have discussed,”Nyirishema noted.

    “We will continue to discuss the details on how they will help us as a country, to build skills in electronics as well as software application development. There are some tangible things that they are going to help us which will be very instrumental for ICT development in Rwanda.”

    KISA is a government agency established in 2009 to focus on the national Korean information security, national internet development and international cooperation in the area of ICT and broadcasting.

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  • Turkish Firm Invest in Rwanda’s Energy

    A Turkish firm, Hakan Mining and Electricity Generation Industry and Trade Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Ministry of Infranstracture to develop power generating plants in the wetlands of Nyanza and Gisagara Districts in the Southern Province.

    Min. Emma Francoise Isumbingabo (L) and Ahmet Karasoy(Net Photo)

    According to Emma Francoise Isumbingabo the Minister of State in Charge of energy and Water, the project is expected to be completed in three years and US$230 million (Est. Rwf136,8bn) to develop the peat power generation plants.

    Isumbingabo signed the MoU on behalf of the government.

    This comes in a wake of unclear circumstances of Rukarara Hydro power project which is said to have involved slapdash deals and work in the execution of the project.

    Currently an independent ad-hoc committee from the parliament has been set to investigate thoroughly well what failed the project.

    After one month, the ad hoc committee is expected to come up with the expected independent report which will be followed by summoning relevant ministries or will ask for more time if it will have not completed its investigations.

    A number of government institutions are now under scrutiny by Parliamentary Public Accountants Committee (PAC) for possible abuse of public funds following auditor general’s report 2009/10 which highlighted billions of funds spent with no supporting documents.

    The report listed a number of public institutes that would have been caused a huge loss to the government in various aspects.

    The Turkish firm represented by its Board of Director’s Chairman of Hakan, Ahmet Karasoy hailed Rwanda Development Board(RDB) that helped it eased and quickened its paper work.

    “We shall also be looking at other energy areas where we can invest in,” Karasoy said.

    Energy has become one of the world’s priorities of investment with latest technologies inventing various sources of energy from Sun, human and animal waste, and wind among others.

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  • Rwanda, America Leading in Action on HIV/AIDS

    World AIDS Day is a day to reflect on lives lost, and lives forever changed, as a result of HIV and AIDS.

    It is also an opportunity to pay tribute to more than 34 million people living with HIV worldwide.

    Today, we celebrate those lives saved and improved, and recommit to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Rwanda.

    Significant strides have been made in Rwanda and throughout the world. In Rwanda, the United States, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), directly supports life-saving antiretroviral treatment for 61,900 men, women and children.

    PEPFAR supports 225,600 Rwandans with care and support programs, including 73,500 orphans and vulnerable children.

    PEPFAR’s efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission have allowed nearly 4,700 babies of HIV-positive mothers to be born HIV-free.

    Recent scientific breakthroughs have altered the outlook on the future of AIDS. A recent study shows that antiretroviral treatment reduces the likelihood of transmission of HIV to an uninfected partner by a remarkable 96%.

    With this and other tools, there is potential path to eliminate AIDS globally.

    By using this new knowledge, more effective programs can be implemented to provide HIV prevention, treatment, and care to millions of people worldwide, and in communities throughout Rwanda.

    Working with Rwanda, we are embracing smart investments to save more lives.

    Treatment – both to save the lives of those infected, and to prevent infection of others – is a key evidence-based intervention, along with prevention of mother-to-child transmission, voluntary medical male circumcision, HIV testing, behavior change with high-risk groups, and other interventions.

    In all we do, we are focusing on using our resources as effectively and efficiently as possible to maximize the human impact of our investments and save more lives.

    U.S. President Barack Obama’s Global Health Initiative is using health systems built with PEPFAR assistance to address public health challenges in a more integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable way.

    For example, PEPFAR has committed to help the Ministry of Health scale-up the SGBV One-Stop Center model in every district.

    This multi-disciplinary model provides victims with immediate medical, psycho-social, police and legal assistance all in one place.

    The integrated and co-located services reduce the risk of re-traumatization of victims through excessive interviewing, increase access to essential care and improve the quality of evidence collected.

    This is an excellent example of PEPFAR’s support for Rwanda’s vulnerable populations.

    Despite challenging economic times, the United States remains committed to a leadership role in the global AIDS response.

    Meeting the challenge of HIV and AIDS requires commitment from all parties – including the governments of affected countries, donor governments, civil society, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and families.

    Today, we recognize how far we have come in turning the tide against HIV, while acknowledging the lengths we still must travel.

    On this World AIDS Day, the United States stands together with Rwanda in partnership and friendship.

    With science as the roadmap, let us renew our efforts to reach the goal of an AIDS-free generation.

    Ends

    The Author is the US Ambassador to Rwanda

  • Over Rwf 64.6m State Funds Lost

    The Ministry of local government (MINALOC) caused a loss to the government worth Rwf 64.6m, it has emerged.

    It was disclosed during the on-going inquiries by parliamentary Public Accountants Commission (PAC) into different government institutions and ministries implicated in the 2009/10 auditor general’s report for mismanagement of public funds.

    According to 2009/10 auditor general’s report Rwf9.7 billion ($16.3 million) could not be accounted for.

    The report cites lack of support documents, embezzlement or mismanagement of public funds in many of the government entities.

    About 36 public entities incurred wasteful expenditure amounting to Rwf 1,054,529,243 (2009: Rwf 610,396,260 in 27 institutions) that could have been avoided had they complied with laws, regulations and procedures in force.

    Wasteful expenditure was mainly incurred to pay penalties to Rwanda Revenue Authority for failure and/or delayed remittance of statutory deductions.

    According to a press statement released by the lower chamber of parliament the loss of Rwf 64.6m was due to failure to demand for timely payment of loans, debts of motorcycles which were given to executive committees in different districts not recorded in the books of accounts by June 30, 2010.

    Others included debts in cheques that were not banked and not recorded in books of accounts by June 30, 2010 and funds for Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme(VUP) which were paid to individuals instead of collective funding.

    The quizzed team from MINALOC led by Cyrille Turatsinze the Permanent Secretary accepted having poorly recorded and mismanaged state finances and vowed to revise their management of funds.
    It was also disclosed that a deal to supply 1000 laptops to the Ministry of Local Government turned into a counterfeit computers supply.

    The laptops worth Rwf493.6m of which an advance payment of Rwf 98.7m was made, were meant for local leaders at cell level, aimed at facilitating them to have proper service delivery.

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  • RRA Refutes Public Claims Over Tax Ignorance

    Following Sunday’s Rwanda TV and Radio’s live talk where a member of public called in complaining of lack of information about tax issues, the tax agency has refuted the claims saying members of public pretend.

    In an interview with Nkusi Mukubu Gerald the Director of Tax Payers Services Department at Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) said that his institution had a lot to ensure public awareness on tax related issues.

    “It is so unfortunate if they are complaining, however we have done much to make the whole country covered with tax education, of course I can’t say it is 100% but at least 98% which wouldn’t result into such complaints,” Mukubu said by cell phone.

    Mukubu said that RRA has been carrying out several tax education in the country citing different events in up country including one that was carried out in Burera District in Northern Province.

    “Taxation issues are complex, you can’t know all of it but some of the tax payers do exaggerate and fail to see what government is doing for them and so some pretend they have not received any tax education, just yesterday I received a call from Burera District the same area we carried out a workshop and had a celebration of tax payers day recognizing the best tax payers,” Mukubu added.

    He however revealed that some of them have fear of arrears of taxes not paid in the past three years and end up creating pretext that they have no information about taxes.

    Mukubu called upon the public to suggest the best channel and way RRA can help them to be tax educated.

    “We have a hotline 3004 which one call and get answered by an expert who answers almost every query, we have a system that they can use to pay taxes or ask anything about taxes but they can propose to us which way we can use, we can adjust, we are flexible,” he added.

    Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has set a target of collecting at least Rwf 533.8 billion in tax revenues during the current 2011-2012 fiscal year.

    Recently, the Commissioner General of RRA, Ben Kagarama, during the last fiscal year, the tax body had set a target of Rwf 458 billion, which they surpassed by collecting Rwf 491 billion.

    Among the challenges Kagarama cited were mainly tax evasion, giving an example of taxpayers registered for Valued Added Tax (VAT) but who fail to issue VAT invoices.

    The RRA chief further noted that some traders use forged documents by under-declaring their taxes through a reduction in turnover.

    ENDS

  • Why Women Beatup Their Men

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    The media has recently moved away from biased reporting about domestic violence in which previously women featured as the only affected parties in domestic wrangles yet men have equally been affected.

    Domestic violence also known as domestic abuse, battering or intimate partner violence – occurs between people in an intimate relationship. Domestic violence against men can take many forms, including emotional, sexual and physical abuse and threats of abuse. It can happen in heterosexual or same sex relationships.

    Of recent there have been an increased number of cases of Rwandan men killed in domestic wrangles. In domestic violence cases that have resulted into death, dangerous weapons have been used including; machetes, iron bars, hoe handles, knives, electric equipment among others.

    National Women Council findings indicate that in Rwanda 2011 at least 94 men were brutally beaten by their spouses. There are various cases that have resulted into death of men.

    However, there is need to determine why actually men are hit by women. People hit and abuse family members because they can.” And in today’s society, as reflected in movies, and feminist doctrine, women are openly given permission to hit men. For example, a woman slapping a man in the face is rarely, if ever, viewed as “domestic violence.”

    It’s a lost war against family violence until society withdraws permission from women to hit their intimate partners. The problem and causes of female violence must also be recognized and addressed. It has been suggested that female assaults on males are almost always for reasons of self-defense.

    However, there does not seem to be any support in the available data for the feminist proposition that women only use violence against men in self defense.

    Researchers Fiebert and Gonzales (1997) deduced in their study that most-common reasons the women assault their male partners included; My partner wasn’t sensitive to my needs, I wished to gain my partner’s attention, My partner was not listening to me.

    However, in our local context most causes of domestic violence stem from family disagreements on land, money, individual liberties and infidelity.

    The lack of sensitization of the population on the true meaning of Gender Equality has also accelerated family disagreements where women have always interpreted that they are favoured most.

    Gender Equality is a social order in which women and men should share the same opportunities and the same constraints on full participation in both the economic and the domestic realm.

    Studies have also suggested that men violated against prefer to remain in such abusive relationships due to various reasons including; Shame, Love for Spouse, Self-Worth, Denial, Reluctance to Give up the Good, Inertia, The Kids factor and mostly the Fear of calling 112 Police line.

  • Entrepreneurs Recieve Marketing Skills

    In partnership with International Finance Corporation (IFC Rwanda), the Centre for Business Solutions (CBS) is training Kigali entrepreneurs in marketing skills for their work and sales.

    Patrick Kagabo, the CBS manager told igihe.com that this training aims at enhancing entrepreneurs’ skills in dealing with their businesses.

    “We help them at enhancing their skills in doing their marketing system. It is good that people start understanding the role of these trainings that could change their way of working”, said Kagabo.

    He added that this helps increase their practical skills because most of them are used to theoretical skills got from schools.

    One of the trainers Jimmy Rutabingwa says that trainings opened their eyes as business people and this will help to make their businesses known.

    “These trainings will help us to get their eyes open as entrepreneurs.All of them will put this into practice and let me mention that time is now”, said Rutabingwa.

    One of the trainees, Christian Mutembe told igihe.com that he welcomed the initiative by the Centre for Business Solutions.

    “On my behalf, this training was successful. We got to know how to make things into practices. I get out of here with much knowledge and skills to improve my business”, stated Mutembe.

  • Let’s Stop Violence Against Women

    Violence against women and girls touches Rwanda just as it does every other nation. Gender-based violence is a global pandemic that cuts across all borders – ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, and religion.

    It can threaten women and girls at any point in their life- from female feticide and inadequate access to education and nutrition to child marriage, incest, and so-called “honor” killings.

    It can take the form of dowry -related murder or domestic violence, rape (including spousal rape), sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, or the neglect and ostracism of widows.

    One in three women around the world will experience some form of gender-based violence in her lifetime.

    In Rwanda, according to the Rwanda Men’s Resource Center (RWAMREC), a survey found that 57% of women had experienced domestic violence at the hands of their partners, primarily in the form of forced sex (32%) and slapping (30%). In some countries that number is as high as 70 percent.

    This year, we once again mark “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence,” commencing on November 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ending December 10 with International Human Rights Day.

    It is clear that the international community must offer up more than words to answer the call to free women and girls from violence. Whether it happens behind closed doors or as a public tactic of intimidation, whether down the street of our own neighborhood or on distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all -men and women alike.

    We must stand up to the impunity that too often leaves the most egregious perpetrators unaccountable for their crimes. We must redress the low status of women and girls around the world that renders them undervalued and vulnerable.

    Further, we must support the inclusion of men and boys in addressing and preventing violence and changing gender attitudes, increase accountability and commitment by community and government leaders on this issue, as well as highlight and promote effective programs that are already successfully at work.

    These 16 Days are a sobering reminder that gender-based violence cannot be treated as solely a women’s issue – it is a profound challenge for the entire world. Gender-based violence is not just an affront to human rights and dignity – it adversely impacts the welfare of our communities.

    When women and girls are abused, businesses close, incomes shrink, families go hungry, and children grow up internalizing behavior that perpetuates the cycle of violence. There is no end to the economic and detrimental social and health costs that come along with this brutality.

    Consider the costs incurred for substantial medical and legal services as a result of injury and abuse. Or calculate the costs of lost household productivity and reduced income stemming from the forfeit of paid working days.

    As many women often work in “the informal economy” selling market goods or working as domestics, such costs are often hidden – even in plain sight.

    This damage is passed on to the rest of the community as judicial, health and security services are strained. Violence effectively acts as a cancer on societies, causing enormous upheaval in the progress of social and economic development.

    Physical violence vastly increases women’s risk for a range of serious conditions, including reproductive health problems, miscarriages and sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV. There are also strong linkages to maternal mortality, as well as poor child health and morbidity.

    Beyond the individual pain and suffering, gender-based violence has a range of economic effects at the national level, such as foregone foreign investment and reduced confidence in a given country’s institutions.

    No country or part of the world is immune to these costs. In the United States, the cost of violence against women alone exceeds $5.8 billion per year. Another $4.1 billion is spent on direct medical and health care services, with productivity losses accounting for another $1.8 billion.

    In a time of strained budgets, some may paint efforts at intervention as prohibitively expensive. Although investing resources in the prevention and prosecution of acts of aggression against women may cost money upfront, it pays enormous dividends in the long run.

    The United States’ Violence Against Women Act, which strengthened efforts to investigate and prosecute such crimes, has been estimated to have saved more than $16 billion since its enactment in 1994. The majority of these savings have stemmed from averted survivors’ costs.

    Rwanda has taken great strides toward gender equality. In addition to having the highest percentage of women Members of Parliament in the world (56.3%), the government is a strong proponent of educating about and legislating against sexual- and gender-based violence.

    Domestic violence has been criminalized with culprits receiving severe penalties, including prison sentences. The successful One Stop Centre model is being installed around the country, offering investigative, medical and legal support to victims.

    Also, in an effort to understand the scope of the problem, the government promotes research, collects data and compiles statistics on domestic violence. We applaud Rwanda’s work in this area.

    These 16 days offer an opportunity to renew the commitment to free women and girls from the nightmare of violence, whether the abuse occurs in the home behind closed doors, or in the open fields of armed conflict. Countries cannot progress when half their populations are marginalized and mistreated, and subjected to discrimination.

    When women and girls are accorded their rights and afforded equal opportunities in education, healthcare, employment, and political participation, they lift up their families, their communities, and their nations – and act as agents of change.

    As Secretary Clinton recently noted, “Investing in the potential of the world’s women and girls is one of the surest ways to achieve global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for women – and men – the world over.”

    the author is
    US Ambassador to Rwanda

  • Press Release: Suzan Rice Touring RDB

    SUZAN RICE TAKES A TOUR OF THE RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD’S ONE STOP CENTRE

    The United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Susan E. Rice met with Senior Officials at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and some private sector investors in the ICT and Hospitality sectors to discuss and observe first-hand the current business environment in Rwanda.

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    At RDB, Ambassador Rice was taken around the investor One Stop Centre and various services including company registration, sector specific certifications and licenses, environment clearance and issuance of investment certificates, were explained.

    During the visit, it was explained that the Rwanda Development Board is not only a One Stop Shop for investors but a single point of contact for guidance on laws, policies, incentives, investment climate and trends, investment opportunities, costs of setting up a business, process of finding land and sector specific information.

    In addition, the One Center provides work permits and visas, tax exemptions and payment, construction permits, utilities and notary services.

    The Ambassador also heard from the private sector members about their experiences in doing business in Rwanda, their plans for the future and what is on their wish list.

    Ambassador Rice is in Rwanda on an official visit to various organizations and meets with Ministers and other dignitaries to witness Rwanda’s progress over the past several years, particularly in health, agriculture and in the economic sphere.

    ENDS