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{President Paul Kagame has encouraged his counterparts to retain their will to work hard so as to make benefiting changes to the AU and secure the dignity of all Africans. The president made the appeal today during the 29th AU summit, now taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he presented a report on the implementation of the AU reforms.}

During his speech, President Kagame thanked various heads of state for their understanding and their commitment in implementing the reforms, giving special appreciation to Moussa Faki Hammat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission since 14 March 2017, and his overhaul team for supervising the implementation of the reforms.

“I am grateful to the many Heads of State who have found the time to share their ideas both in person and in writing. I also congratulate Chairperson Moussa, and his team, for the progress that has been made”, said Presient Kagame

He strongly underscored that the foundation laid by former Heads of State shouldn’t go to waste and advised his counterparts never to lose the steam that has brought the Union thus far.

“We cannot lose the momentum that has been built or allow the sense of urgency that has been driving us forward to fade away,” said Kagame adding that; “We honor the foresight of former Heads of State whose hard work left us with a strong foundation for continental unity.”

The 29th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union is due to end on the 4th July 2017.

{The Government of Rwanda Cabinet meeting that convened at Urugwiro on 30th June 2017 made a number of recommendations that will affect the internal operations of Rwanda National Police.}

The cabinet approved the dismissal and discharge of different officers under different grounds. A total of 17 Police Officers found guilty of various offences and faults which are punishable by dismissal were sent home, while 73 Non-Commissioned Officers and Police Constables were too dismissed and 18 Non-Commissioned Officers were discharged on medical grounds.

The meeting also approved the promotion of 187 Police Non- Commissioned Officers and enlisted personnel.

Other issues that were approved in the Friday sitting were; the renewal of term of office for Mrs. Cyanzayire Aloysia as Chief Ombudsman, appointment of Mr. Bosenibamwe Aimé as Director General of National Rehabilitation Service and placing of IP Yusuf Twamugabo at the Disposal of the Ministry of Justice, on the post of Internal Security Analysis Specialist.

{With government efforts towards realization of affordable housing taking a good stead of progress, another policy framework has been added to boost the initiative throughout Rwanda. The Cabinet meeting that convened in Urugwiro, Friday last week under the chair of President Paul Kagame, approved to establish an Affordable Housing Financing Fund. }

The Rwf290 billion Affordable Housing Fund will be utilized in constructing houses for low income earners payable over a period of between 25-30 years up from the current 10-20 years, benefitting many Rwandans who cannot afford to raise funds for building homes with no chances of accessing long-term mortgage loans at low interest rate of 10% instead of the current 17%.

The Fund is targeting Rwandans who earn a monthly income of between Rwf200,000 and Rwf700,000. The initiation of the Fund follows a research carried out by the Rwandan Housing Authority along with other organizations which, in 2012, established that by the year 2012, there will be a need of over 340,000 dwelling units.

The fund will help to squarely address the problem of expensively imported building materials that increase the cost of rent and housing units for sale.
The Fund will be managed by the Development Bank of Rwanda.

{The United States has raised concerns that future trade and investment deals with East African countries based on a continent-wide free trade agreement may be unrealistic due to their diverse interests.}

According to Washington, the differences could lead to a lowest common denominator agreement and consensus on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) would be difficult.

Last year, the EAC told the US that, in order to increase trade and investment between the two parties, the general outlook of post-Agoa should take on a development dimension based on trade facilitation and investment promotion as well as address supply constraints and improve the business environment in the region.

“Future agreements with the US, post-Agoa, should be discussed at the continental level in line with the African Regional Integration Agenda,” said Beyond African Growth and Opportunity Act, a report of the meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment held on June 2 in Arusha.

“Special and differential treatment should be factored into any trade and investment agreement post Agoa, as well as development support, in order to enhance EAC capacity to trade with the US. Therefore, there may be a need to qualify reciprocity that would take into account the asymmetrical nature of the economies involved.”

According to the EAC, although policy reforms can have a positive impact on the private sector and influence the global competitiveness of the region’s firms, future trade relations should not be made conditional on these reforms.

Such agreements should focus on trade development and promotion.

The US noted that the issues mentioned by the EAC are being addressed in the context of the current trade and investment partnership, and that there was a need to consider other areas that could serve as potential building blocks to deepen future trade relations.

The EAC Agoa work-plan is ready, and it estimated that it will cost $102 million to implement.

The priority areas for the EAC-Agoa strategy are to increase production and export of tradeable products, diversify products exported to the US from the EAC, intensify value addition, and promote and attract investment capital.

{{Visa concerns}}

The EAC had also raised concerns about the issuance of visas to the US to business operators in the region. The region’s private sector claims that issuance of visas sometimes takes up to one year.

The US said that its visa policies vary in EAC countries, based on reciprocity, and said it was willing to discuss the issue further.

On the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements (SPS), concerns were raised by the Kenyan National Plant Protection Organisation about the lack of conclusive communication from the US Animal and Plant Health Inspectorate Service office.

Kenya had started a pest risk analysis for avocado with the intention of exporting the fruit. On possible areas of collaboration, the report noted that in addition to cold chain development within the region, investors could pursue possible establishment of cold treatment plants, especially for avocados. This would ensure avocados from the region are able to satisfy the SPS requirement of the US market.

Source:The East African

{The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in South Sudan, David Shearer has praised Rwanda Peacekeepers serving under United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for their quick response in support of humanitarian assistance in Aburoc Internally Displaced Persons camp, in Upper Nile Region, South Sudan.}

Mr Shearer made the comment last Wednesday, after visiting Aburoc camp that accommodates 25,000 IDPs.

At the beginning of April 2017, UNMISS helicoptered in 80 Rwandan peacekeepers together with armored vehicles to Aburoc, to create better security conditions for the humanitarian assistance. After the rapid deployment of the Peacekeepers, the Humanitarian Community arrived in the area two days later.

“The presence of peacekeeping troops undoubtedly provided the security and confidence that humanitarian agencies needed to operate in this remote and dangerous area,” said Mr Shearer. He noted that the demonstrated nimble and pro-active peacekeeping response should be emulated to other crisis situations in South Sudan.

“A cholera outbreak was stopped and hundreds of lives were saved as a result of this combined action together with a highly effective response by humanitarian agencies”, he added.

“With the possibility that Aburoc was going to become a humanitarian disaster area, it was important that everyone moved quickly,” Mr Shearer underlined. “I was very pleased that peacekeepers were ready to deploy nimbly and proactively. A light and effective footprint on the ground was what was needed”, he concluded.

The Aburoc village that numbered some 5,000 people only before the arrival of the IDPs was lacking water, food and health service; but now humanitarian agencies are safe to provide life-saving services to the needy.

Source:Minadef

{Rwandan shippers are protesting at Kenya’s continuing to charge fees for its electronic cargo tracking system in spite of the free integrated system being in place.}

Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda integrated their electronic cargo tracking systems, replacing the old, individual country-owned ones.

However, Kenya has maintained the old system that is run by private providers at a fee.

“We buy each electronic seal from private vendors in Kenya at $700, without which cargo cannot be released at the Mombasa port,” said Abdu Ndaru, CEO of the Kigali-based transport and logistics company TransAfrica Ltd.

Robert Mugabe, the deputy commissioner of the Revenue Investigation and Enforcement Department, confirmed that he had received Mr Ndaru’s complaint, and said that it was a one-off error that KRA has since rectified.

“I called my counterpart in KRA about it. We agreed that cargo coming to Rwanda will either have the Rwandan seal or the regional seal,” said Mr Mugabe.

He said he was told by his Kenya counterpart that the private e-seals are used for risky domestic market cargo to monitor its movement.

Chief executive of Kenya Shippers Council Gilbert Langat said they had not received any complaint from the Rwandan shippers.

“This is a free service because it is a cost taken over by TradeMark East Africa, and until later, when shippers will be notified on the amount to pay, the service remains free,” said Mr Langat.

TradeMark funded the project to enable the owners of the goods and clearing agents to get real-time feedback on location of a vehicle, its speed, status of the container, and whether the seals have been tampered with or not.

Patience Mutesi, the country manager of TradeMark East Africa-Rwanda said, “It is expected that the tracking device armed in Kigali will be used along the Northern Corridor from Kigali to Mombasa.”

{{Additional cost}}

Ms Mutesi said it is costly for the business community to arm two seals — one regional free seal and the privately managed ones — when Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda were facilitated jointly to track cargo from the port to destination.

“The private players are requiring that their tracking system be used in addition to the regional tracking devices, subjecting transporters to an extra cost; this should not be the case,” she said.

Tanzania chose to remain on the old electronic cargo tracking system to protect private business interests.

In the EAC, only Rwanda and Uganda are implementing the project.

Rwanda Trade, Industry and EAC Minister Francois Kanimba said Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya’s revenue bodies should charge transporters uniform fees.

Source:The East African