{{China has provided to Rwanda over US$35million in form of grants and interest free loan.}}
The agreement was signed on December 21 at the Rwanda Foreign Affairs Ministry offices.
Rwanda was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Louise Mushikiwabo and Ambassador Shu Zhan of China to Rwanda, on Chinese side.
The two countries have previously cooperated in areas of Health, Agriculture, Education and Infrastructure.
Ambassador Shu Zhan noted that these agreements of cooperation between the two countries reflect China’s continued strong relationship with Rwanda for technical cooperation.
“The signing of these agreements shows the level of cooperation we have with China, and is the sign that show that Rwanda depends not only on one country or continent but we are capable of looking everywhere and work with lots of cuntries.” Mushikiwabo says.
Photo: {L-R Tony NsanganiraActing COORDB (L) Clare Akamanzi Acting CEORDB (C) Vivian Kayitesi Head of Investment Promotion and Implementation}
{{In the context of global economic difficulty, Rwanda has managed to create its own opportunities in 2012 and attracted a significant amount of new investments.}}
The Rwanda Development Board has released year-ending results indicating that as of December 19th, 2012, Rwanda has registered US$1.10 billion.
During a press conference in which these statistics were revealed, the Rwanda Development Board Acting Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi stated that Investments registered in 2012 have so far reached a record $1.1 billion compared to this year’s annual target of $835m with Tourism, Energy and construction & Real Estate sectors attracting the largest level of investments.
“We expect 2012 to be the highest value of projects registered in a single year,’’ Akamanzi noted .
“These record investments have also created a total of over 20,578 jobs (11,522 more jobs than 2011) with the Mining, ICT and Services sectors contributing to the largest amount of job creation’’ added Akamanzi.
These results demonstrate that Rwanda’s ease of Doing Business is having a real impact. In 2012, RDB has pursued its journey toward rapid economic transformation by further implementing changes that brought about positive results.
Of great importance also to RDB is to ensure that the policies and reforms designed; provide the private sector with the best environment to grow, while catering for government’s interest.
Through the Rwanda Private Public Dialogue mechanism, efficient forums for discussion, resolving issues and policy advocacy representing the voice of all stakeholders concerned are provided.
As per EDPRS 2 strategy being developed, it is clear that all Ministries will be actively involved in promoting private sector investments in their respective area of interest, and therefore RDB will be working in even closer collaboration with all of them going forward.
RDB will also strengthen its core marketing function to increase investment proactive targeting in strategic sectors of interest (e.g. financial services, logistics, BPO and light weight manufacturing).
Looking ahead to 2013, RDB is aiming higher to a target of $1.3 billion.
Local and Foreign Investments: 2012 Local investments registered accounted for 49% of value, but 61% of number of projects, where foreign investments and JV also account for 51% of value, but only 39$% of number of projects.
Exports: By the end of October 2012, export receipts from different sectors stood at US$ 385 million compared to US $315 million from January to October in 2011 representing a 22% increase.
Tourism: Tourism is estimated to have generated US$210.5 million from January to September, 2012 compared to US$184.4 million generated in 2011 during the same period. This corresponds to an increase of 14%.
Small and Medium Enterprise Development: RDB has established over 30 Business Development Centers to offer Business Development services that improve performance of enterprises, their access to markets and ability to compete.
These offer services to SMEs such as training, coaching, consultancies, marketing, information, technology development and transfer and business linkages
Customer Care: A series of strategic activities were set in motion on customer care to ensure that the country addresses the challenges facing it as a result of poor customer care approaches.
A campaign, entitled Na Yombi, was initiated and over 2,029,000 adult Rwandans have been exposed to best practices on service delivery through communication activities, several trainings of trainers in private sector companies.
Investment registered: is the commitment of an investor who acquired an investment certificate at RDB in 2012.
It is therefore the value committed to be invested as well as the number of jobs to be created, over the period of the submitted business plan, which can be up to 5 years.
Out of a total of 181 projects registered in 2012, the top 10 investors account for 63% of total investments value of $1,100m.
Company Registration has also reached a record level in 2012 with 9031 companies registered as of December 19th, an increase of 42% from 2011.
This represents about 35 companies registered each working day, compared to 24 in 2011, and only 2 companies per day 10 years ago.
{{The Rwanda Utility Regulatory Agency (RURA) in conjuction with the National ID project have announced that all SIM Cards will be registered and details of their bearers synchronized.}}
Maj. Francois Regis Gatarayiha of RURA noted that all phone holders will have to register their SIM card numbers and provide their personal identification details.
All those sim cards unregistered will be blocked off air or will not function.
There are about 5million phone users in Rwanda all subscribed to three major telecommunication companies MTN, TIGO and Airtel.
The Free registration process will be conducted between February 4, 2013 upto July 31, 2013.
RURA notes that this will help the the fight against rising crime especially kidnapping, theft through mobile money transfer.
{{The UN says a helicopter from its peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has been shot down by the army, killing all four crew, believed to be Russians.}}
A spokesman said the aircraft was shot down while on a reconnaissance mission in eastern Jonglei state.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack on the “clearly marked” helicopter.
However, South Sudan’s minister of information told the BBC that the cause of the incident was not clear.
The UN has been helping those caught up in deadly clashes between rival communities in Jonglei state.
Deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey said South Sudan’s military had admitted it had hit the helicopter.
{{Police in Gasabo District, Gisozi Sector, Ruhango cell has arrested two men for allegedly assaulting a man whom they suspected to have broke into a shop and stole goods.}}
Abdallah Ntiyamira, 27 and one Damascene 33, were arrested for taking justice in their hands and assaulted John Barigira, 20 who has since been admitted at Kagugu health centre.
They are currently held at Gisozi Police station.
They are now facing charges of assault and battery as stipulated under article 148 of the penal code.
{{President Paul Kagame received 22 business students, Professor of Economics and one staff member from Stanford Graduate School of Management.}}
The students were recieved on December 21.
President Kagame thanked the students for their work to improve entrepreneurship in Rwanda and expressed his hope that this trip will benefit both Rwanda and the student.
The students, who are in Rwanda as part of the Stanford Social Innovation Study Trip, were given the opportunity to interact with the President on subjects ranging from Rwanda’s development, infrastructure and the President’s leadership legacy and Rwanda’s vision.
To explain the origins of Rwanda’s vision, President Kagame told the students:
“Africa has close to 1 billion people and enormous resources. The only thing missing is Africa substantially benefitting from this and owning it. The origins of our vision are about asking ourselves why are others developed and we are like this? Do we deserve it?
What can we do to change it and create a pathway for transformation? Our vision is about redefining ourselves and becoming who we should be.”
President Kagame concluded the interactive session with these words of advice to the students:
“Choose the life you want to lead, believe in yourself and remember that nothing will happen until you do it. Never be put off by challenges, always move up because that is where you belong.”
The “Social Innovation Study Trip” is supported by Stanford’s Center for Social Innovation and is one means by which business students can satisfy Stanford’s “Global Experience Requirement.”
The theme of the trip is “Rwanda: Paths to Prosperity”, and the focus is on better understanding the challenges and opportunities for economic development in low income countries.
The interest to Rwanda came from the fact that despite the 1994 Genocide, and other obstacles, Rwanda has transformed itself from a failed state into one of Africa’s fastest growing, most stable, and least corrupt countries in only two decades.
{{French police arrested two men who had gas masks and machetes in their car as they approached a mountain rumoured to be one of the few places where people will survive when the world supposedly ends on Friday.}}
Officials said they believed they were trying to test the security cordon thrown around the village and nearby mountain of Bugarach, where dozens of police were deployed to head off a potential influx of New Age fanatics and sightseers.
On Thursday police also arrested one man with a Taser electric shock device and another with a baseball bat near the village of 200 people, where journalists from across the world have congregated.
Police had wrongly anticipated a mass influx of visitors and blocked access to the village and the Pic de Bugarach, the mountain which some say will open on the last day and aliens will emerge with spaceships to save nearby humans.
Believers say the world will end on December 21, 2012, the end date of the ancient Mayan calendar, and they see Bugarach as one of a few sacred mountains sheltered from the cataclysm.
In Ghana, the Upper West Regional Minister Alhaji Amidu Sulemana was shot Thursday evening by unidentified gunmen.
Sulemana is currently on admission at the Gwollu Government Hospital where he is receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.
Its is suspected his attackers were armed robbers. The robbers shot at his vehicle several times.
The minister was on his way to Fielemuo to thank the people for electing him as the Member of Parliament for Sissala West.
The regional minister said doctors were in the process of taking him to the regional capital Wa, from where he will be conveyed to Accra for further treatment.
The suspected robbers did not steal from him, he said.
{{The Rwanda Stock Exchange Friday’s share index (RSI) slightly went up 0.41 points to close at 161.74 and mainly pushed by the rising Bralirwa share price which closed at Rwf 630.}}
The total turnover for the day was Rwf 44,992,000 from 273,400 BK shares and 15,000 Bralirwa shares traded in five deals compared to yesterday’s trading session which recorded a turnover of Rwf 852,024,900 from 6,581,700 BK shares and 4,700 Bralirwa shares traded in eight deals.
BK shares traded and closed at Rwf 130, unchanged from yesterday’s closing price whereas Bralirwa counter traded and closed at Rwf 630, registering an increase of Rwf 2 compared to yesterday’s closing price.
KCB shares last transacted at Rwf 160 while NMG shares last transacted at Rwf 1,200.
At the end of formal trading hours, there were outstanding bids of 420,000 BK shares at Rwf 129 and no outstanding offers.
On Bralirwa counter, there were outstanding bids of 63,400 shares between Rwf 610 and Rwf 628 and no outstanding offers.
This week the RSE market went down in turnover compared to last week’s trading session.
The total turnover for this week was Rwf 1,301,089,200 from 9,949,200 BK shares and 26,000 Bralirwa shares traded in 28 deals compared to last week’s trading session which recorded a turnover of Rwf 1,353,621,600 from 600,100 BK shares and 2,075,700 Bralirwa shares traded in 40 deals.
{{The pope pressed his opposition to gay marriage Friday, denouncing what he described as people manipulating their God-given identities to suit their sexual choices — and destroying the very “essence of the human creature” in the process.}}
Benedict XVI made the comments in his annual Christmas address to the Vatican bureaucracy, one of his most important speeches of the year.
He dedicated it this year to promoting traditional family values in the face of vocal campaigns in France, the United States, Britain and elsewhere to legalize same-sex marriage.
In his remarks, Benedict quoted the chief rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, in saying the campaign for granting gays the right to marry and adopt children was an “attack” on the traditional family made up of a father, mother and children.
“People dispute the idea that they have a nature, given to them by their bodily identity, that serves as a defining element of the human being,” he said.
“They deny their nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves.”
“The manipulation of nature, which we deplore today where our environment is concerned, now becomes man’s fundamental choice where he himself is concerned,” he said.
