Tag: MainSlideNews

Lack of shared rules and regulations, cross border trade tariffs and lack of infrastructure remain major barriers to economic growth in Africa. According to the World Bank, the African market remains highly fragmented, which limits the movement of goods, services and people across borders. The United National Economic Commission for Africa has also recently highlighted the need to boost intra-African trade to deliver development across the continent and speed up Africa’s economic transformation.

{{African payments, via international banks}}

While the transport of goods and services is critical for Africa’s development, enabling the movement of capitalto support trade and development within Africa is equallyimportant. According to SWIFT data, only 12.8% of commercial payments from Africa went directly to other African countries, even though the final destination of more than 20% of these payments was within the continent. A large proportion was settled internationally, including 37.2% in the United States. This international financial intermediation is costly, and takes time.

Pan-regional payment systems operating within harmonised legal and regulatory frameworks of regional economic areas will make intra-regional payments easier, faster and cheaper. This will help to increase cross-border trade within regional communities such as the East African Community (EAC) or the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Competitive local payment services will alsohelp to reduce the need for international financial intermediation thereby keeping African transactions within Africa. It will also help to increase access to financial services. Looking beyond high value transactions, the addition of low value intra-regional payments could also extend benefits to consumersby enabling the creation of new products and services that could increase financial inclusion.

Policy makers have recognised the role that payment systems and other infrastructures play in fostering and deepening economic development; therefore, over the last 5 years, many African countries have invested in their financial market infrastructures (FMIs). The World Bank too has prioritised the development of payment systems as a crucial component of its work to reduce poverty and boost prosperity.

Several pan-regional payment systems already exist, including SIRESS in SADC,which went live with the first four SADC countries in 2013, and the East African Payment System (EAPS), which was established by the EAC also in 2013.

{{Focus on East Africa}}

The EAC, which includes Uganda, Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, was established to strengthen economic, political, social and cultural integration in order to improve the quality of life of people in East Africa. TheEAC intends to realise thisby increasing competitiveness within the region, creating value-added products, and boosting trade and investment.

To help achieve these ambitions, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda implemented the multicurrency regional payment system, EAPS, which links the domestic payment systems in each country. This makes cross-border fund transfers much easier within the Community, supporting the free movement of goods, labour and services.

The EAPS platform, launched in November 2013, is underpinned by the high value payment systems at each country’s Central Bank (called real time gross settlement systems) which operate on the SWIFT messaging network for safe and secure delivery of payment and settlement messages. It enables banks to make or receive cross-border payments seamlessly in their respective local currencies. A key aim was to reduce the cost of financial transactions, which would in turn help to increase the trade flows that are critical for economic growth.

Over the last four years, the members of EAPS have reaped several benefits from using the platform.

The system supports all member currencies and simplifies the process of transferring funds cross-border by reducing commission and other charges. For example, previously when a Kenyan bank wanted to send funds to a bank in Tanzania, it would need to change Kenyan shillings into dollars via a foreign intermediary bank, and then into Tanzanian shillings on the other side. EAPS removes this step, allowing direct currency exchange, therefore lowering the cost of doing business across the region.

Transaction times havealso been significantlyreduced. While a payment used to take up to two days, it can now take place in only a few hours. By using SWIFT, EAPS also benefits from the highest levels of security, resiliency, standardisation and automation.

The ambition for EAPS is that it will be the platform of the future, enhancing efficiency, continuing to reduce settlement times and lower transaction costs, therebyencouraging greater levels of trade within the region and furthering economic growth.

Currently four countries are connected to EAPS, andBurundi is scheduled to join the platform later this year. The realisation of such a large regional economic bloc has great strategic and geopolitical significance. Encompassing some of the most vibrant economies in Africa with a combined population of more than 150 million people, a land area of 1.82 million square kilometres and a combined gross domestic product of $146bn, EAPS will play a key role in boosting the economies of the East Africa region.

{{The writer is the Head of Sub-Sahara Africa, SWIFT}}

The programme aims at supporting youth entrepreneurs into building competitive bankable ideas and businesses that impact development.

The founder of the organization, Justin Zoradi said they target to promote young entrepreneurs into businessmen of vitality, contributing to the meeting of national development goals. “We need entrepreneurs who are ready to acquire new skills.

The beneficiaries will get trained in four entrepreneurship components in four months. On graduation, we shall invite different investors from across the World and encourage them to invest in these projects,” he said.

He said that Rwanda is prioritizing attraction of new investments and her youths’ thirst for entrepreneurship should be quenched through innovativeness to foster job creation.

The 150 projects were selected under the programme dubbed ‘Accelerate Academy’, where 350 projects of youth aged between 18 and 32 competed.

Copin Fabrice Bien Aimé, an online-based businessman said that during first days, he has been able to understand and explain clearly his business idea to the group.

“First of all, it is important to understand your business, how you operate it, budgeting, planning and be able to explain your business to a client or investor,” he said.

The Musanze District based basket (agaseke) weaver, Souzane Murekatete said that she has been able to understand the value chain, setting prices and good resources management.

“Take an example; I didn’t know how much it costs me to put one basket on the market, but after considering invested time and raw materials I use, I realized that it costs me Rwf10,000. So, I need to know the price I should set to be able to earn a profit and pay taxes,” she explained.

The last session of this programme ended in June this year by selecting eleven projects engaged in shoe making, food processing and tourism related businesses. All business in total gained a boost of $26,000.

The statement was made on Friday during a meeting between Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and players in the tourism industry from the private sector and other government institutions working closely with the sector.

Tourism sector investors claimed that they are charged high interest rates on loans as well as inaccessibility to long-term loans, charged undocumented fees on loans and become worse when they fail to repay in the due period, getting their properties auctioned.

In reacting to investors’ concern, the vice-governor of BNR, Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa said it is improper for auctions of mortgaged properties to be carried out in a process that is not transparent which breeds impropriety.

“There are times when there are injustices and corruption in the auctioning process; sometimes when you pay much attention on how it all went you get confused. This is a big issue that needs to be addressed by all concerned institutions,” she said.

She said that it is wrong for bank employees to decide on how the auction should be conducted where they get some kick-backs; she cautioned that it is a problem that should be taken care of if they want to rebuild the image of the sector.

The Chief Executive Officer at RDB, Clare Akamanzi said that they are going to form a joint committee by RDB, Ministry of Finance, BNR and Private Sector Federation (PSF) that will monitor banks’ loan recovery process.

“Our government promotes investment, tourism and private sector; I think that when we propose tangible ideas, the government will embrace them,” she said.

The estimated value in losses includes houses and infrastructures that were completely destroyed, crops that were swept away and medical bills.

Speaking in a press conference this Thursday, the Director of Disaster Response and Recovery at MIDIMAR, Philippe Habinshuti said that this year alone 52 people were killed, 119 injured, 127 houses were completely destroyed and 4620 were damaged.

He said that crops on the surface of 2014 hectares were swept away as 125 domestic animals were killed.

Particularly, since this 2018 first agricultural season started, rainstorm-related disasters killed 20 people.

According to MIDIMAR, the most affected Districts are Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Ngoma, Huye and Nyagatare.

The Minister of MIDIMAR, Jeanne d’Arc DeBonheur said that, so far, the government has spent over Rwf65 million to support victims of disasters and relocating some families from high risk zones which is an ongoing exercise as the ministry continues to mobilize more resources to support other victims.

“Some individuals are yet to get the support; we are still mobilizing more resources as we use the little we have starting from the most affected regions,” she said.

In court sitting where neither audio nor visual recording gadgets were allowed to be used by journalists, who were as well cautioned against conducting interviews in the precincts of the court, the presiding judge started by asking whether the suspects admit to the accusations preferred against them to which they pleaded not guilty.

The defense Lawyer, Pierre Celestin Buhuru, thanked the court that granted him access to the dossier, though, he said, he was denied to take copies.

Buhuru told court that Adeline Rwigara declined to be represented by him and, instead, preferred a different lawyer and so he would go ahead with defending only Anne Rwigara and Diane Rwigara.

Adeline Rwigara told court that Buhuru would be overburdened as the case files he has to peruse are so thick for a single advocate. She asked for a list of lawyers from which she picked some names but none was present in the court.

Prosecution described Adeline’s concern as delaying tactics over flimsy excuses and requested the presiding judge to reject any other claim that could delay the hearing saying that all defendants are aware of the charges leveled against them.

Prosecution also informed court that they are yet to get to charge details, being the reason for not giving full dossier to the defense, but the little they were given would allow them to file defense, a claim one defendant, Adeline, rejected saying they only got the file on Tuesday.

{{New lawyer, more time}}

Adeline Rwigara requested to be defended by a new lawyer, upon which request Gatera Gashabana was identified.

She also requested more time to read the dossier and requested for money to pay the new lawyer because all the money they had was seized by Police.

The defense lawyer informed court that he still lacks access to some of the accused dossier information including audio records and whatsApp messages alleged to have been obtained from his clients.

The Judge rejected the claim saying that they decided on audio and short messages in last hearing, but agreed to Adeline’s request of a new lawyer.

Buhuru prayed to court that audio records that are not in the dossier he accessed should be disqualified from the list of exhibits.

The hearing was adjourned to Friday 13th October, 2017.

{{Tight security}}

Like during the previous hearing, court was filled to the brim, with security tightened as police conducted body checks of every person entering the court room.

During this occasion, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame has called upon parents to find time and talk to their children about education as well as adequately providing them with what they need to grow and study well.

Speaking to Kirehe residents, the First Lady said that the government of Rwanda wants a transformed country where they see notable changes in people’s lives which is why much emphasis is being made towards programs involving family promotion, governance and health.

“Today we are pleased with remarkable progress we have so far attained in the development of family promotion and good governance” she said adding to the importance of setting Early Childhood Development Centers (EDCs), supporting parents and children into early access to learning and development.

She advised parents to nourish children with foods rich in nutrients especially in the first 1000 days of the child’s life.

Mrs. Kagame reminded children and youth that their lives depend on the good and wise choices they make.

Chali who was speaking to the Media after presenting his credentials to President Paul Kagame in Village Urugwiro, Tuesday, said that Zambia has a variety of tourism attractions including the Victoria Falls and Rwanda has an Airline that flies to Lusaka, Zambia which he said could facilitate in promoting tourism between both countries when it extends flights in other parts of the country.

“I’ve been telling his Excellency Paul Kagame that we should think about RwandAir going Livingstone because you’ve got Gorillas here which are bringing many tourists and Zambia has Victoria Falls (in Livingstone) which also bring in tourists who we can share for the development of both countries,” he said.

He said that Rwanda and Zambia have strong relationship proven by different high officials including both presidents and foreign affairs ministers’ visits on both sides this year.

“We are very happy to be associated with this country and we pray for its best.”
Chali represents Zambia in Rwanda with residence in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Gashumba was speaking Friday, during the discussions that brought together the Ministry and partners to assess the results from ‘first 1,000 days of the child’s life’ campaign. The campaign was initiated in 2013 to combat malnutrition in Rwanda.

Gashumba said that the programme aimed at improving maternal and child health in the country through key behaviors such as breastfeeding, timely initiation of complementary feeding with balanced diet for pregnant women.

She noted that the negligence of those key behaviours would result into stunting, or more severe disabilities.

“Nowadays, we have a serious issue of malnutrition where children are suffering from stunted growth. This is a result of irresponsible parents with poor mentalities,” she said.

Southern and Western Province districts have the largest number of children with stunted growth.

“We still have about 38% of children with a stunting growth. This is a very serious issue, because contrary to what people think, stunting does not only affect children physically, but also it affects them mentally,” Gashumba explained.

“This further implies that the child may have delayed mental development and therefore poor school performance” she added.

UNICEF Country Director, Ted Maly commended the initiative for raising knowledge about preparation of balanced diet for children below five and pregnant women from way back in 2013.

“This initiative was of great help in our objectives because the current 38% of children with stunted growth has reduced from 44% in 2010. Based on what has been done, we believe that people will change mindsets and embrace programmes leading to feeding balanced diet for children,” Maly said

{{Way Forward}}

The recent Cabinet Meeting appointed Dr. Anita Asiimwe, the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Coordinator. ECD is expected to combat malnutrition from village level.

Gashumba said that through ECD, parents will understand their role in growth of their children through nourishing them on a well balanced diet.

“ECD will remind parents to take care on children’s growth. On the village level, poor families will be supported. We shall be able to know whether the child was nourished with well balanced diet” she added.

Gasumba is optimistic that collective efforts from different institutions would help ending malnutrition and stunting growth among children.

{{Photos: Moise Niyonzima}}

This playful scene unfolds just 3m from where I stand in the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. Although the official guideline is to maintain a distance of at least 7m between human and gorilla, the limited space in the clearing allows a more intimate experience.

For about an hour, we observe the fascinating and familiar mannerisms of the gorillas and delight in the mischievous nature of the babies.

Every September, baby gorillas are named. The newly christened babies last month include Isuku (cleanliness), Uruyange (shiny flowers) and Inkeshya (mountain gorillas are stars). There is also Ubudasa (unique and remarkable), Inyange (handsome and smart) and, reflecting the Rwandan technology drive, Ikoranabuhanga (technology), among other names.

Kwita Izina, the gorilla-naming ceremony, is one symbol of Rwanda’s ardour for the conservation of its natural world.

{{Kinigi, the village nearest Volcanoes National Park }} (www.volcanoesnationalparkrwanda.com), is a drive of two to three hours from the capital of Kigali. And from my Belgian-owned La Paillotte guesthouse in Kinigi, it is only 10 minutes on the road to the park headquarters, where we are introduced to the etiquette of meeting the gorilla family that will soon fascinate us.

The mountains in the distance, lightly shrouded by mist, are an excellent backdrop for the traditional welcome Intore dance by the Rwandese dancers.

Arriving around 9am, the weather is cool with a burst of sunshine, and we do not need to wear our jackets.

Our guide paces the hike for us and when we reach the entrance to the park, one of the armed park rangers follows us around the gorilla’s enclave. It is our lucky day as the gorillas are lounging very close to the park border.

The expedition is worth the permit fee of US$1,500 (S$2,045) that each foreign tourist pays. This goes towards the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas in the vast park, which spans the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.

Rwanda, a small African nation of just 26,338 sq km (in comparison to South Africa, which is a sprawling 1.22 million sq km), is a land-locked country bordering Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is about 40 times the size of Singapore.

With a disciplined and efficient government, it has developed rapidly, aiming to eradicate poverty and become a middle-income country by 2020.

Tourism is developing at a fast pace and the biodiversity attracts visitors from all over the world. Moreover, with the peace and stability that characterises Rwanda, conservation efforts have yielded great rewards and international praise for the country.
{{LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND}}

Kigali paints a serene picture, with romantic waves of rolling hills visible in much of the city.

Women dress in vibrant colours, complementing its greenery. At night, the sky transforms into Van Gogh’s Starry Night. A view from the top of the hills makes the city look as if there is an endless burst of stars suspended not only in the sky, but across the land as well.

The spirit of the people here is that of eagerness for a prosperous future and the Rwandese encourage their children to obtain academic or vocational achievements for the betterment of their lives.

As we are strolling by the scenic twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo, my Rwandese friend and I meet a seven-year-old girl wearing a bright pink sweater. We ask her about her education and she shyly replies that she is in Grade 2 and is second in her class.

Since 2008, the government has ordered the language of instruction in schools to be English, attesting to Rwanda’s ambition to establish business networks with global partners in Europe and Asia.

Today, Rwanda has gained international recognition for its efforts in poverty alleviation, environmental conservation (solar panels), cutting-edge technology (the KivuWatt energy plant on Lake Kivu), increased connectivity (fibre-optic cables laid and buses with Wi-Fi) and so much more.

This stands in stark contrast to common beliefs held about the country – that it is unsafe and unable to move beyond its tragic history. Between April and July 1994, hundreds and thousands of Rwandese – mostly of the minority Tutsi ethnicity – were murdered in the most rapid genocide. Most of the killers belonged to the Hutu ethnic majority.

The tragedy, however, seems to have spurred a desire for socio-economic progress, regardless of ethnicity.

It is this drive towards meritocracy, conveyed in a news article that dubbed Rwanda as the Singapore of Africa, that piqued my interest to visit the country in December last year.

Further research unveiled that Singapore and Rwanda share a good relationship that has borne fruit, including the Rwanda Development Board, modelled after Singapore’s Economic Development Board, and vocational training institutes similar to the Institutes of Technical Education here.

We walk through the immaculate streets of Rwanda, paved and devoid of trash, with a dustbin on every corner. I have no trouble getting mobile broadband access, a luxury, I am told, that one cannot always count on in other African nations.

Modern life has definitely taken root in Kigali, which has a well-structured airport, law-abiding citizens and cosmopolitan fare. Apart from Asian restaurants such as Zen Oriental Cuisine and Asian Kitchen, there are also Western eateries such as German Butchery, Sole Luna and Trattoria, which also serve excellent African buffets.

The newest addition to the landscape is the Kigali Convention Centre, which can house 5,000 delegates and has played host to international conferences such as the World Economic Forum and the African Union Summit.

The dome-shaped building is modelled after the King’s Palace in Nyanza and, when it lights up at night, it looks as though it is revolving. One can spot it at a distance while dining at Pili Pili (pilipili.rw), a restaurant atop a hill in the Kimironko neighbourhood, which serves the best African grilled chicken in Kigali.

{{LAKE PARADISE}}

Rwanda may be landlocked, but it has not let this get in the way of becoming a beachgoer’s paradise.

Gisenyi is a town 21/2 hours west of Kigali, located at the doorstep of Lake Kivu, one of the Great Lakes in the Albertine Rift Valley. The area is peppered with hotels, including Lake Kivu Serena Hotel (www.serenahotels.com/serenalakekivu/default-en.html).

I chance upon it one morning while in search of a cup of coffee and a place to admire Lake Kivu from. When asked where the best vantage point is, the ever so hospitable staff go out of their way to set up a table on a private lakeside area.

From there, I see the vast expanse of the lake, estimated to cover 2,700 sq km. I cannot see the other side and, with the light breeze and sand beneath my feet, it feels as if I am on a tranquil beach.

I pillion-ride on a moto-taxi – motorcycle taxis are the main mode of transport here – to a brewery called Bralirwa (www.bralirwa.com/cms), where I take in the brewing process of the national beer, Primus, a pale lager.

Strolling down the road from the brewery, lined with small village huts, I see a fleet of fishermen on their wooden boats. The calm and soothing hymns from a nearby church can be heard as I greet the smiling villagers with “Muraho”, which means hello in Kinyarwanda.

In that moment, I see Rwanda for what it is – a beautiful tapestry woven with myriad threads, telling the story of a nation that has emerged from its dark past to embrace modernity, without forgetting its roots and traditions.

THE STRAITS TIMES

• The writer is a history and social studies teacher

Kagame made the remark during the celebration of 100 year jubilee of sacerdotal service in Rwanda on Saturday in Muhanga.

The head of state emphasized lessons to learn from the government’s relation with Catholic Church in the past 100 years.

He said that priests and the church have played a big role in life and history of the country.

“Those activities include promoting Kinyarwanda language itself as the foundation of our culture. They developed writing skills, documented history, culture of the country and initiated research in traditional healing practices,”

Speaking about the discussions he had with Pope Francis in March this year, Kagame said that the government of Rwanda has had meaningful results and renewed partnership with the Catholic Church.

“Pope Francis leadership marks a new chapter in history, one that looks to the future and well being of Rwandans. We have the opportunity to learn from our past, focus on our future because we all have the same goal: to serve Rwandans. This chapter of our history is an opportunity for new partnership that serves the people of Rwanda: Let us work together to transform the lives of our citizens and ensuring no one is left behind”, the president observed.

Kagame reminded that the Catholic Church and Rwandan government should learn from the past and peek lessons that will allow them to take cooperation forward.

“Nowadays, with politics and governance of the country, we have an opportunity to assess the past, so that our plans and visionbecome constructive to population regardless to their origin,” he said.

He called on Catholic Church leaders to work closely with the government to meet their responsibilities of enhancing welfare of Rwandans.

“Be it government or Church, we work together by serving Rwandans, ‘Christians’. We should not put this opportunity to waste. We need to add more efforts, simply, I thank Pope Francis for the opportunity he gave Rwanda to take the good cooperation forward,” Kagame added.

Kagame said that he shares with the church the target of developing the country.

“Actually, we share many things; we share Rwandanhood, human hood, and we all wish to be good people with dignity by looking forward than focusing on the past,” he said.

During Kagame’s visit in Vatican, Pope Francis apologized on behalf of Catholic Church that got involved in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.