The Business Excellence Awards, which aims to celebrate efforts made by both corporate and small medium sized enterprises in Rwanda, are an opportunity for the local business community to come together and celebrate business development and success.
The Business Excellence Awards 2018 will be held at the Kigali Convention Centre and Radisson Blu Kigali on 12, January 2018.
Speaking at a press conference the Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi, encouraged business owners to participate in the online nomination process.
“The Rwanda Development Board acknowledges the important role that our private sector plays in the country’s development goals to become a middle income and knowledge based economy. That is why we are proud to celebrate the business community through these prestigious business awards,” she said
Under the theme ‘In pursuit of Business Excellence’ the Business Excellence Awards 2018 will be graced by government representatives and business owners.
For all interested in participating in the Business Excellence Awards 2018; they can click below to sign up.
[How to participate in the Business Excellence Awards 2018
->http://rdb.rw/business-excellence-awards/]
Munyeshyaka was speaking Thursday while officiating the 3rd Made in Rwanda Expo.
He commended the level of exhibitors’ participation, the volume, quality as well value addition of products.
He said the government has embarked on promoting both nationals and foreigners-run local industries.
Munyeshyaka assured local investors that the government intends to put in place laws that will weaken foreign industries to access public tenders.
“I would inform you that the revision of the law regulating public tenders has been completed and the next phase is to table it before the parliament. Under the new law, locally produced materials are prioritized at 15% on public tenders over these from outside the country,” he said.
He added that foreigners with local industries were prioritized at 10% over producers of the same materials from abroad.
Munyeshyaka called on local manufacturers to improve the quality of their products so that the government can promote standardized products.
Since 2010 to 2016, importation has reduced by 2% while exportation increased by 11%. In the first quarter of 2017/2018, exportation raised by 10% whereas importation cut by 8%.
The Private Sector Federation Chairperson, Benjamin Gasamagera, said this year’s Expo attracted exhibitors from different sectors including industries, food processing, textiles, handcrafts and ICT among other services.
This year’s Made in Rwanda Expo attracted 420 exhibitors up from 305 last year.
Running at the Gikondo Expo Ground in Kigali, the weeklong Expo started on 29th November and will end on 5th December, 2017.
The Kasha journey began in 2016 with a blueprint for both a technology platform and a profitable social business. Kasha is a company allowing anyone to confidentially and discretely get health and personal care products delivered to their location of choice in Kigali.
Kasha co-Founder Joanna Bischel and Kasha Country Director Dianne Dusaidi along with Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Registrar General Louise Kanyonga and Dr. Anicet Nzabonimpa from Ministry of Health spoke to the press at the media briefing held at Kasha offices. The media also received demonstrations of the innovative Kasha experience through its beautifully set up showroom.
Dianne Dusaidi said Kasha is providing health and beauty services to Rwandan women and men based on their lifestyles. She stated that Rwanda is the perfect starting point for Kasha as an e-commerce business particularly because of access to innovative technology as well as cashless payment solutions that are offered to their customers.
Louise Kanyonga lauded the importance of women owned business particularly in ICT. “We want to see businesses owned by women growing. Currently women owned business are at 27%. RDB supports increasing the number of women owned businesses in the country and it is good to see Kasha contributing to that. In an industry where you don’t usually see technology come in, Kasha has taken a basic customer need and, using technology addresses that need for customers. Kasha is a business that addresses a social need while making a profit as well. We need to create more businesses that address social needs,” she said.
Joanna Bischel said Kasha is taking advantage of the power of technology and accessibility across the country.
“The phone is the perfect tool for that, it allows people to browse and select the products they need which enables Kasha to reach people with last mile connectivity. People are not used to the flow of e-commerce, so we have made it as easy as buying airtime.”
Kasha is optimized for confidentiality, convenience, quality and affordability. Pharmaceuticals are delivered in partnership with KiPharma and ARBEF.
Dr. Anicet Nzambonimpa, representing the Ministry of Health said “Kasha is supporting the Government of Rwanda in terms of doing business better, providing good services to our population particularly in the important areas of concern such as hygiene and sanitation.”
As an innovative business providing health products to mostly girls and women, Kasha is ensuring that they have an opportunity to address their health concerns and potentially prevent unwanted health issues.
While Kasha is live and has already delivered thousands of orders in Kigali, in December 2017 Kasha will officially launch its e-commerce platform alongside key partners including Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, KIPharma, ARBEF and Unilever.
Early this week, a Nairobi based website exposed the plan to fake kidnap and persecution allegedly committed by Kigali on Rwandan refugees inside Uganda with the aim of drawing attention of rights group and portraying Rwanda as hostile
Two days after the Nairobian story, the scheme is unfolding with a Ugandan based online website, Chimpreports becoming the messenger
In what looked like a planted story, the website reported on Tuesday that some Rwandan refugees were due to petition Uganda’s parliament claiming persecution from Kigali. However, some observers wondered how refugees who have no voting powers would petition parliament instead of UNCHR.
A day after, the same website claimed that the refuges meant to petition Uganda’s Parliament were ‘attacked” on the evening before their act in a Kampala suburb called Ntinda. The same story claimed police intervened and rescued the refugees and that the attackers fled off upon seeing Police.
However, observers say the story leaves more questions than answers. For example, they question the following; “how can criminals escape upon arrival of police and no single shot is fired or effort to hunt them down? Ntinda being a busy suburb of Uganda, why are there no witness accounts to confirm the incident or mention registration numbers of vehicles/motorcycles the alleged criminals used? A story of attempted kidnap involving rescue by Police is a big story by any measure, why didn’t any mainstream Kampala media pick it up?
“This is work of intelligence circles in Kampala,” said a security operative in Kampala. “Its part of the smear campaign aimed at throwing mud on Rwanda.”
The story that run early this week in the Nairobian revealed of a plot orchestrated by Ugandan intelligence circles targeting ex-Rwandan soldiers to allege “persecution, kidnapping and espionage” in a bid to paint Rwanda as an “aggressive” state.
The story singled out one, Rugema Kayumba a mobiliser for Kayumba Nyamwasa’s RNC as promoter of the scheme supported by high security and intelligence operatives from CMI in Kampala.
Rugema, recently relocated from Norway to Uganda to lead this scheme that involves planting lies and getting the attention of human rights groups like HRW and UNHCR to discredit Rwanda.
Rugema is working with another fugitive Sande Charles aka Mugisha Robert RNC coordinator in Uganda. It is reported that two have been given escorts from CMI
When the so-called refugees failed to deliver their petition to Uganda’s parliament on Wednesday, Rugema Kayumba lamented on his facebook page “Rwanda refugees were to present their petition to Uganda parliament and Kigali attacked them before they appeared.”
Surprisingly, it’s the same allegations that were carried in Chimpreports story confirming further that this scheme exists and involves planting stories in different online tabloids.
The Nairobian quoted highly placed source in Uganda’s intelligence circles saying that the well-crafted scheme seeks to achieve two goals; portray Rwanda as a hostile nation that has infiltrated Uganda and use Rwandans to amplify allegations on human rights violations to capture the attention of different rights groups.
The Nairobian reported last week that Rugema, a Corporal who deserted from RDF is married to a Muhima lady called Peace Rugema who is engaged cattle trade in Kampala.
Rugema is facilitated or works closely with one, Corporal AbdulKarim Mulindwa a.k.a Mukombozi a CMI operative (RA 189654) with close ties to the office of Brig. Abel Kandiho, the head of CMI.
Sources say, CMI operatives have linked Rugema to a top human rights lawyer based in Kampala to finalise the dossier on human rights violations and present it to HRW and UNCHR.
Rugema recently wrote an open letter to Uganda’s President and First alleging all sorts of human rights allegation in a clear move aimed at promoting this narrative against Rwanda.
Speaking about the data price reduction, MTN Rwanda CEO, Bart Hofker, said the reduction is part of their strategy of a customer centric approach that must be fair and transparent for all.
“MTN is redefining mobile internet costs for everyone with this new fair and transparent data pricing plan. We now offer the best internet price on the market with or without a bundle.”
“This move is part of an overarching strategy in which we are moving towards a truly customer centric approach. After the launch of MTN (Internet) Irekure, in which we offer personalised super offers to our customers, we are now making it clear that we will not punish our customers for using more data than their bundle allows.
By drastically lowering out-of-bundle prices, we also protect our customers from unpleasant surprises, where in the past large amounts would disappear from main accounts due to, sometimes, accidental and out-of-bundle internet use. All these measures combined, bring the best value for money for mobile internet users in Rwanda,” Hofker says.
“People’s data consumption patterns are changing rapidly and MTN is constantly looking for innovative ways to ensure that our customers’ needs are met.”
The new out-of-bundle pricing of RWF 10/MB, is said to be the lowest in the market. This will further provide some peace of mind to customers using mobile internet, and giving them an affordable and seamless internet experience.
In rural sectors of the city, figures of children from poor families with stunting growth continue to rise.
The fight against malnutrition week was launched in Mageragere Sector of Nyarugenge District on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, the CoK vice-mayor in charge of social affairs, Patricia Muhongerwa, said they want to help people understand how to get children rid of malnutrition and stunting growth.
“Launching this campaign was due to findings of the survey showing that stunting growth stands at 38% countrywide and 23% in Kigali City particularly,” she said.
She said under the campaign, people will be sensitized about easy and cheap techniques everyone can use to fight malnutrition.
“Having kitchen gardens with different varieties of vegetables is the best tool to fight malnutrition. I urge every family to use this technique to ensure healthy life of their children,” she explained.
Jackeline Karimunyana, a resident of Mageragere, said her child had suffered from malnutrition-related diseases but affirms that with the sensitization, the problem will be uprooted in the country.
Under the campaign, the CoK in partnership with International Potato Centre, Mageragere residents were served with potato seedlings rich in Vitamin A&B.
The group of five judges led by the President of Commercial Court in Ghana, Jennifer Dodoo, is in a three-day visit to learn from Rwanda’s justice system and business sector development.
Prof. Rugege said the Ghanaians requested to come to study the secret that Rwanda uses to always dominate other countries in fast-tracking court cases and having fast-growing business industry.
“They requested to visit us so that they can learn from our services in commercial courts,” he said.
The recent World Business Doing Business report ranked Rwanda as the first African country that made different reforms in business in the past 15 years.
“They said that Ghana has declined in doing business, they want to learn from the secret behind Rwanda’s development in doing business and commercial cases hearing. We told them that ICT speeds up the job of courts and people get good services. That is why other countries come to learn from us,” Prof Rugege told the media.
Dodoo said that they chose to learn from Rwanda following the World Bank Doing Business Report which ranked Rwanda as the best African country in easing business.
“We were told that ICT is very crucial. When you introduce ICT in courts, you get transparence in justice delivery and reduce corruption and other malpractices,” said Dodoo.
Among the group members include Rwandan Clarisse Iribagiza, the Chief Executive Officer of Hehe Rwanda, a tech company that develops mobile and computer applications.
The Jobs for Youth in Africa initiative aims at creating 25 million jobs and impacting 50 million youth over the next ten years by equipping them with the right skills to get decent and meaningful jobs. It is currently the largest effort going on for youth employment in Africa.
According to National Daily newspaper, the advisory group, inaugurated on the sidelines of the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum in Abidjan on Monday, November 27, will work with AfDB to create jobs for Africa’s youth.
Adesina, who described Africa’s youth as its greatest asset, observed that out of the 13 million youths that enter the labour market each year, only three million (about 33%) are in wage employment while the rest are underemployed or in subsistent employment.
He said the annual gap of more than 8 million jobs is going to worsen with the number of youth expected to double to more than 800 million in the next decades.
“Africa has an unemployment crisis among its youth,” he stressed, noting that unless employment opportunities are created for them, Africa’s rapidly growing youth population can give rise to serious social, economic, political and security challenges.
On the rationale behind the setting up of the advisory group, President Adesina explained, “We recognize the enormous amount of energy, creative and innovative thinking, and entrepreneurial excellence that many of our youth bring to the table. For this reason, the bank must ensure that it is well advised by cutting-edge youth representatives on its policies, actions and programmes for the benefit of Africa’s youth.”
“Members of the Presidential Youth Advisory Group are expected to actively engage private sector partners, government leaders, civil society, donor partners, and other stakeholders; and support the significant amount of work that the bank is already doing and promoting across the continent through its Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy,” President Adesina added.
The Presidential Youth Advisory Group (PYAG) comprises nine members under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the creation of employment opportunities for African youth.
The PYAG members are; Ashish Thakkar, CEO, Mara Group, Tanzania (Chair);Uzodinma Iweala, award-winning author, Nigeria; Mamadou Toure, Founder / CEO, Africa 2.0 / Ubuntu Capital, Cameroon; Vanessa Moungar, Human and Social Development Director, AfDB and member of President Macron’s Presidential Council for Africa, Chad; Francine Muyumba, President, Panafrican Youth Union, Democratic Republic of Congo; Jeremy Johnson, Co-founder, Andela, USA; Clarisse Iribagiza, CEO, Hehe Rwanda; Ada Osakwe, CEO, Agrolay Ventures, Nigeria; and Monica Musonda, CEO of Java Foods, Zambia.
The problem originates from the 2006 government institutions reforms and decentralization which saw government’s local entities formerly known as communes reduced from 146 to 105 and later to 30 entities which changed name to districts, replacing communes and many public servants lost jobs in the process.
The problem was raised on Tuesday as Amb. Claver Gatete, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), appeared before the Upper House to explain different problems facing the ministry.
Among these problems include that of former commune staff, sector leaders and executive secretaries among other employees in former sectors and communes that were affected by the government’s reforms but have not yet received the payment that the government was supposed to pay them.
Gatete said that staff from ten districts were not affected, 19 districts had documents that needed to be reviewed and only one district admitted to solve the problem by itself.
He said that in partnership with districts and the Ministry of Local Government, they had extended the period so that any other affected person could have reported their problem to MINECOFIN but the deadline expired on November 27th 2017.
Senators also enquired explanations about the delay of funds for genocide survivors yet the funds are kept in banks and other financial institutions while survivors’ children and families are starving due to lack of clear identifications of account owners.
Gatete explained that they are working with IBUKA, umbrella of the genocide survivors’ organizations, to continue identifying names and other information that can help for the disbursement of the money to beneficiaries.
Two Formed Police Units (FPU1 and FPU2), and a Protection and Support Unit (PSU), each composed of 140 officers will replace the same number under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
The PSU, which undertakes special duties such as protection for VIPs among others, is under the command of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Emmanuel Hatari.
FPU1 and FPU2 are headed by Chief Supt. Jean Pierre Ntaganira and Chief Supt. Sam Rumanzi, respectively.
Meanwhile, a hybrid contingent of 240 officers under the command of Chief Supt. Charles Butera will replace the same number under the UN Mission in South Sudan.
The FPU specializes in public order management like crowd control; facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance, escort duties and protection of UN facilities, among others.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, during the pre-deployment briefing, yesterday, reminded the officers that peacekeeping forms part of Rwanda’s rapid development, a legacy they should strive to protect and promote.
“This is a diplomatic duty that the country has entrusted you with. You were well trained and equipped, what remains is maximum execution of your duties,” IGP Gasana said.
“Always know and efficiently translate orders and assignments from your superiors. Alertness, effective communication, professional conduct and mandate execution, force discipline, respect and teamwork are indispensable to protecting the image of Rwanda National Police and our country,” IGP Gasana said.
He also appealed to them to respect and protect each other, and exercise patience during their year-long spell in peacekeeping duties.
“Standard operating procedures must be respected as guidelines towards a successful tour-of-duty.”
Rwanda, one of the leading contributors of peacekeepers whose professionalism is highly rated, maintains over 1000 police peacekeepers in five missions.
The missions are Haiti, Darfur, Abyei, CAR and South Sudan.
Meanwhile, an all-female FPU contingent is also set to be deployed in South Sudan come January, next year.
