Rwanda National Police Marine Unit on Tuesday intercepted a boat loaded with 36 bales of used clothes on Lake Kivu.
The Police spokesperson for the western region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, said the goods were being smuggled by six men, who were also taken into custody.
“On Tuesday at about 3am, fishermen called security personnel, reporting a boat from DR. Congo that was headed to Nyamasheke District. The marine unit responded and intercepted the boat in Gihombo Sector, Kibingo Cell loaded with 36 bales of clothes and took into custody the six people that were on board at the time,” he said.
In November last year, a marine unit in Rutsiro District intercepted at least 369 bales of second-hand clothes and shoes that were also being smuggled into the country through Lake Kivu.
At least 33 cases of smuggling of used clothes and shoes were recorded on Lake Kivu last year.
Meanwhile, Police said, a Fuso truck was also intercepted in downtown Nyabugogo, Nyarugenge District with four bales of smuggled second-hand clothes.
The bales had been covered with bags of vegetables. The vehicle and the goods were also impounded.
To support and drive the rapid growth of its African portfolio, Radisson Hotel Group has reinforced its development team with the introduction of senior development professional Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Middle East, Turkey & French Speaking Africa. Ramsay has been with Radisson Hotel Group for over 5 years, initially overseeing the growth of the company in the Middle East & Turkey and now leading the development activities across French Speaking Africa. He is supported by Erwan Garnier, Director, Development French & Portuguese Speaking Africa. Together, they seek to accelerate the introduction of all Radisson brands in the region with a focus on key capital and economic cities.
Also joining the Group’s African development team is Caryn Venter, Coordinator, Development, Sub-Sahara Africa. The new organizational structure follows the recent appointment of Frederic Feijs who leads operations as Regional Director Africa – French Speaking Countries for Radisson Hotel Group and William McIntyre, the Group’s Regional Director, Africa, overseeing the remaining Anglophone markets in Sub-Sahara Africa. Both will play a significant role in strengthening the group’s network in their regions and will increase operational synergies, for the greater benefit of owners.
Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Middle East, Turkey & French Speaking Africa said, “I am thrilled to be expanding my geographical focus, to include French-speaking Africa. We have ambitious plans for this important market and it is imperative that we have the right resources in place to support our growth. This means communicating effectively with owners and investors, as well as providing first class levels of expertise as we establish long-term relationships with our business partners in this market. We are proud that each of our development team members fits this criterion for success.”
“We will continue to execute our five-year strategy with our expanded team, creating scaled hotel growth in key cities and resort locations across Africa during 2019,” said Andrew Mclachlan, Senior Vice President, Development, sub-Saharan Africa, Radisson Hotel Group. “With a focus on scaled growth in key locations across Africa, we can offer guests multiple hotels across different brands and market segments, at various price points and improved local hotel performance with strong local procurement and cluster select services in the same city.”
Mclachlan continued, “Cape Town, Johannesburg and Lagos are our three gateway cities in sub-Saharan Africa where we aim to have scaled growth and an ambition of up to ten hotels within the same city. Dakar, Abidjan, Douala, Luanda, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa are proactive cities, where we aim to have between three and five hotels due to size of economy, market, long-term fundamentals and supply and demand opportunities. We expect our future growth to arise from existing hotel take-overs and new build hotels.”
“With economic headwinds in some African markets, we have identified opportunities to exploit our vast knowledge and experience in converting unbranded, underperforming hotels or underperforming office or apartment buildings and reposition them to the right brand and market segment within the Radisson Hotel Group brand portfolio. In addition, we are not ignoring the smaller cities and larger towns across Africa where we’ve identified potential to penetrate the market with either our midscale Park Inn by Radisson brand or upscale Radisson.”
Radisson Hotel Group plans to open a further five hotels across Africa in 2019, pushing the African portfolio to more than 50 hotels in operation before year-end. These openings include the first Radisson Blu hotel in Casablanca, which is the Group’s second hotel in Morocco, scheduled to open within the next six months, as well as their first hotel, and the countries first internationally branded hotel in Niger, with the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel Niamey in Q2 this year.
“Our strategy will most certainly reinforce our presence in key markets across Africa as we continue to focus on delivering on our expanding pipeline,” concluded Mclachlan.
“She especially loves singing with me. She likes to invent her own songs. I do not always know what she is saying,” Jean laughs, “but I always try to join in.”
Jean also makes toys for Anita, using discarded materials like plastic bottles. “Her favorite toy is a small car I made from common objects I found lying around.” As he speaks, Anita totters across the yard, pulling the car behind her on a string. She occasionally stops, grinning, to pick up small objects and place them inside the car.
Although Jean finds extraordinary joy playing with Anita, he admits that he was not always such an attentive father.
“With Anita’s older sister, I did not always play with her. I do not think I truly understood the vital role a father plays in helping his child develop.” Through training sessions for parents at Anita’s early childhood development centre, facilitated by UNICEF, Jean has learnt a lot about the important first 1,000 days of a child’s life, and how his involvement as a father is preparing Anita to be successful as she grows.
Smiling brightly while Anita scampers around near him, Jean says, “The benefits are clear to me. She is really growing into a very vibrant and active child.”
The 17th Rwanda Prayer Banquet was held under the theme extracted from the Book of Isaiah 40:31, which says: “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
In his message to the congregation, Rev. Dr. Charles Mugisha, the Founder of Africa New Life Organization, talked about living a purpose-driven life and urged participants to choose a firm life vision.
Bishop Darlington Johnson, a Pastor at Bethel World Outreach Ministries delivered the message that emphasized the theme of the Banquet and explained that when the Lord Almighty God gives you renewed strength, you receive God’s power and you achieve every goal you set the heart to.
Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira who represented the First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame at the event, talked about characteristics of a powerful and dedicated leader.
Kacyira urged Rwandans in diaspora to keep attached to their motherland, Rwanda.
The Head of Rwanda Prayer Banquet USA Ministry, Antoinette Kanyabutembo thanked all who participated in the event and urged them to keep united through the prayer so that Rwanda keeps blessed with the best from the Lord.
This competition dubbed “PAY and WIN using MasterCard”, started on the 11th of January 2019 open to everyone who uses BK debit and credit cards.
The terms and conditions for one to take part in this competition were using Rwf50 paying for goods and services (shopping, paying for meals, medicine and more) in a two-week period.
The cards used include MasterCard Debit Standard and MasterCard Debit World (which allow one to withdraw money), MasterCard Credit Standard and MasterCard Credit World (which allows one to purchase on credit) and MasterCard Platinum for special clients.
The winners were announced on TV1. Musso Marcello a teacher at East Africa Institute for Fundamental Research (ICTP-EAIFR) was happy for winning a motorcycle.
“I have been using MasterCard for the last four months. I have also been thinking of buying my own motorcycle but am glad I have received it as a gift. I will continue working with BK.”
Mutesi Gasana another winner of a laptop said; “I am so glad to receive this prize. It is going to help me continue using MasterCard and showing all people that this program gives safety,” she promised.
Head of BK card-based products, Mutesi Joselyne explained that this program supports the government ambition of building a cashless economy.
RCB said that Rwanda received an estimated 35,000 delegates who attended globally recognized events such as the Africa Green Revolution Forum, the GSMA Mobile 360 Africa, Youth Connect Summit and the 5th International Conference on Family Planning that registered one of the largest number of delegates, of over3,800.
RCB has set a target to collect $74 million from the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism sector in 2018/2019 financial year and $88 million in 2019/20 up from $42 million collected in 2017.
Among notable international conferences slated to be hosted by Rwanda this year is the Africa Fine Coffee and Exhibition to take place in February expected to bring in 1500 international delegates, the Africa CEO Forum in March, Africa Health Agenda International Conference and the International Conference on AIDS and STI’s in Africa (ICASA) expected to receive between 7000 and 9000 delegates.
“We will keep on the frontline in getting Rwanda known. When Rwanda hosts an international meeting, we ensure that they are successful that foreign delegates keep looking to Rwanda as the best in conference hosting. We also call the guests to spend long in Rwanda so that they spend more in Rwanda which benefits the private sector,” Mukazayire said.
The President of the Private Events’ Organizers, Aimable Rumongi said: “When a conference takes place in Rwanda, private businesses gain a lot, from the eggs’ supplier, the tomato seller and the event’s organizer.”
RCB says that Kigali now boasts of approximately 5000 rooms in the 2 to 5-star hotels with another 8000 rooms in modern motels available for travellers.
Rwanda was last year ranked the 3rd in Africa as the best country in conference hosting according to International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
From July to December 2018, RRA collected Rwf654.4 billion in tax revenue while the target was Rwf651.5 billion. Compared to Rwf582.9 million collected in the first semester of the financial year 2017/18, there is additional revenue of Rwf71.5 billion translating a growth of 12.3%.
Non-tax revenue collected amounted to rwf11.6 billion compared to the target of Rwf8.9 billion, a 130.2% performance.
The performance in tax revenue collection was attributed to lower inflation, increased agricultural production, improved voluntary compliance of taxpayers and administrative measures taken such as audits among other reasons.
Local Government (LG) taxes and fees collection totaled Rwf22.7 billion, with a shortfall of Rwf0.4 billion to the target of Rwf23.3 billion that had been set.
“The economy was projected to grow by 7.5% during the 2018/19 financial year and the data released by the National Institute of Rwanda shows a growth of growth of 7.7% for the first quarter of (July to September 2018) of 2018/19 fiscal year,” said the Commissioner General of Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), Pascal Bizimana Ruganintwali.
Ruganintwali said that RRA recovered Rwf20 million among people who had debts in taxes and tough measures are under implementation to recover all the money the Government is owed by debtors.
Ruganintwali also thanked the taxpayers who fulfil their duties and asked for a participative hand in fighting those who don’t comply with paying taxes though he said they are few.
The eye testing activity was held at the headquarters of the company at Kigali Industrial Zone in Masoro on February 9th this year in partnership with Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital.
Sandeep Phadnis, Business Head of Safintra Rwanda Ltd said several researches done on eye health revealed that eye problems affect employees productivity which inspired them to get their staff screened, an activity that will continue.
“Researches showed that the productivity reduces by at least 40% among people aged between 40 and 55 years with eye defects,” Sandeep said.
“When the employee’s ability to see reduces, he starts taking medicaments while sick, it affects his performance at work which also affects the employing company,” he added.
Sandeep said they held the activity as it is the employer’s duty to know his employee’s health status and take care of it as it is usually done at Safintra Rwanda Ltd.
After eye testing, those who were found with defects were advised to seek optician advise.
The Director of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital in Rwanda, Kanagaraj Rajagopal said the first eye testing of staff at Safintra was done at no cost.
Dieudonne Hakizimana, an employee at Safintra Rwanda Ltd said that some of his workmates were found with eye defects which they were not aware of and they will now go for eye treatment.
In August last year, AC Group Ltd initiated a project to renovate internet in bus under Tap&Go Wi-Fi. This was after the initial project to install internet connection in public buses seemed to have failed after the passengers raised concerns that it really did not work.
After some months of trial, now passengers who travel in public buses in Kigali say the internet in buses is effective and it helps them enjoy time they spend in transit.
“It used to be much boring to sit in a bus while waiting for it to be filled with passengers, but see, now my phone is connected to internet and I am chatting with friends on Facebook,” Zawadi Mukeshimana told IGIHE’s reporter.
Other passengers who talked to our reporter said they are thankful as they now maximise the amount of money paid for transport as it also includes internet charges which they paid for but didn’t use.
Fidèle Bizumuremyi, another passenger said: “The internet is now working well. They used to tell it is installed in buses but it really didn’t work yet we would pay for it in transport fares.”
Christa Munezero, the In charge of Tap&Go WiFi at AC Group Ltd said they installed the wireless internet connection in 100 buses in August last year as a trial phase and later installed it in all public buses operating in Kigali City after passengers expressed satisfaction with the internet connectivity.
Munezero revealed that figures in December last year showed that a total of 300,000 passengers used the Tap&Go WiFi per day.
Munezero said they plan to install a program that will help passengers read books while in buses with cameras to control drivers who receive transport fees in cash from passengers instead of usingTap&Go cards that were introduced by AC Group Ltd to promote a cashless economy.
The water supply system cost Rwf18 million and it is projected to serve water to 1989 members of 515 families.
Steven Nsabimana, a resident, says that before the water facility was inaugurated, they could get water from Sebeya River which was not clean and would contract diseases.
“We could pay Rwf400 to ride on a bicycle to where the clean water is at Sebeya and Pfunda Rivers,” Nsabimana said.
Domina Nyiranshuti, another resident said that they will now escape risks of water-borne diseases. “I grew up fetching water from Sebeya River and now the water facility completed will help us avoid diseases that were due to unsafe water,” Nyiranshuti said adding that they will preserve the water facility to serve them for a long time.
The Mayor of Rubavu District, Gilbert Habyarimana said the water supply was constructed in line with the Government’s aspiration to help all residents to access clean water facilities in a radius of only 500 meters from their homes.
Official figures indicate that 85% of Rubavu District households access clean water, targeting 100% access by 2020 after the completion of Gihira Water Treatment Plant which will produce 23,000 cubic meters per day up from the current 8,000 m[[3]].
