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Rwanda, Burundi hold talks in bid to mend ties

October 23, 2020

Neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi have started discussions aimed at mending fences and nomalisation of diplomatic relations between them. This was made known by Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Vincent Biruta and Burundi’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Amb. Albert Shingiro after they exchanged documents following talks to restore strained relations between the two countries.

Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Vincent Biruta

A bilateral meeting between Rwanda and Burundi held at Nemba-Gasenyi One Stop Border Post signalled hopes between the two countries to restore relations that deteriorated since 2015. This was the first bilateral summit since the two countries cut ties five years ago.

The two, together with their delegations which included diplomatic and security representatives, headed to deliver opening remarks before holding a closed-door meeting that lasted nearly one hour. Later, the two issued a joint communiqué stating that they agreed on the need to continue contacts in order to normalise relations between the two neighbouring countries linked by history and geography.

Burundi’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Amb. Albert Shingiro

At the end of the closed session, Ambassador Shingiro handed to Biruta a “written message from the Government of the Republic of Burundi, to the Government of the Republic of Rwanda.” Biruta did the same. According to Biruta, the two ministers exchanged on diverse matters, which have strained relations between the two countries.

“With my colleague from the Republic of Burundi we discussed issues of mutual concern which have damaged relations between our two countries since 2015,” he told the press.

However, he added, they committed to do whatever possible to make sure that relations are stabilised, before revealing that he accepted an invitation to a reciprocal meeting from his counterpart. He declined to say when that meeting will take place, but insisted it will happen on a date the two ministers will agree on.

Earlier, before the closed-door meeting kicked off, Ambassador Shingiro indicated that Rwanda and Burundi knew their issues more than anyone else who wanted to facilitate the mending of their relations.

“We came here as the Government of Burundi to demonstrate willingness to normalise our relations, the relations which deteriorated in 2015,” he said during the opening speech.

Rwanda and Burundi affairs deteriorated in 2015 when the late President Pierre Nkurunziza sought the third controversial term that plunged his country into violence and saw hundreds of people arrested and others killed.

The government of Rwanda at the time expressed serious concerns when increasing reports of unrest and violence targeting unarmed civilian Rwandans in Burundi were on the rise.During the same year in October, diplomatic relations worsened when Burundi expelled Rwanda’s top diplomat, Desire Nyaruhirira, over allegations of plans to destabilise the country, allegations that Rwanda denied.

Since then there has never been any known official communication between the two countries’ leaders until this year when Burundi elected a new president, Major-General Evariste Ndayishimiye. However, Biruta said that Rwanda has shown political will to restore relations with Burundi and the meeting was an affirmation of Kigali’s commitment. The meeting was a foundation upon which both sides can make progress in mending ties, Biruta said.

“We committed ourselves to attempt all measures to ensure normalization of relations and stability of our countries,” he noted.

The two, Biruta added, didn’t go into specific details but it was a “preliminary meeting which will open up for subsequent meetings between various sectors” including security organs. Biruta said Rwanda expressed willingness to which the Burundian government responded positively, a result of which was what many termed as a “historic” meeting. Rwanda has, over the years, suffered militia attacks along its common border with Burundi.

The meeting came after the government of Rwanda repatriated several Burundian refugees. So far, 3,058 refugees have returned to their country in six phases, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. It also occurred at a time when Rwanda had apprehended 19 armed combatants who claimed to be members of RED Tabara, an outfit that has been fighting the government of Burundi.

The meeting came following another meeting between the two countries’ military intelligence chiefs, which took place in August in the Eastern Province during which they discussed security issues that have strained the two neighbours.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

American Investors Invited to Participate in Africa’s Economic Recovery Process

July 4, 2020

For the continent of Africa to achieve quality and robust economic recovery, there is the need to open windows of opportunity to investments from different parts of the world instead of pursuing a narrow investment approach. This formed the thought behind President Paul Kagame’s invitation to American investors to participate in economic opportunities as Africa emerges out of the Covid-19 recovery process for mutual benefit.

The President made the call while opening the four-day Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) Leaders Forum. The CCA, which was established in 1993, promotes business and investment between the United States and African countries. Opening the forum, the President said that there are mutually beneficial opportunities emerging as the continent seek to recover and get past the pandemic. Last week, the African Union launched a medical supply platform pooling the procurement of essential health items implemented in partnership with the African private sector.

The initiative is spearheaded by business magnate Strive Masiyiwa at the African Union’s invitation. Kagame noted that there is room for American private sector participation in the initiative. Another aspect that has room for collaboration he said is ensuring adequate fiscal space for Africa which is essential for a sustainable public health response as well as to preserve jobs and livelihoods.

An additional opportunity on the continent is to work together in trade especially with the upcoming launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area. “The US has been a strong supporter of development through trade such as with AGOA, as these internal trade obstacles continue to fall, we look forward to strong engagement from American companies and investors working together with African firms,” Kagame said.

Kagame said that in response to the pandemic and its effects, closer and stronger cooperation between countries and partners will allow for better and stronger response as countries strive to deal with public health challenges, trade and business.”Free trade benefits more from the understanding that we cannot avoid working together if we want to thrive,” he added. Highlighting Rwanda’s recovery outlook, the Head of State said that the local economy prior to the pandemic was strong, stable and with growth in the medium and long term assured. This, he said, gives the government confidence in investing in the recovery of the economy.

He also noted that the Covid-19 curbing measures such as lockdown, testing, tracing among others had proven to be effective as the country continues to see recoveries. The first case of Covid19 was reported in Rwanda about 100 days ago.The summit was held under the theme: “Resilient U.S.-Africa business engagement to drive post-Covid-19 recovery”.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Rwanda Becomes First African Country with Electronic Procurement System

December 2, 2019

Rwanda’s trailblazing development efforts has scored another point by being the first African country to launch an electronic procurement system which analysts say will improve governance considerably. The electronic procurement system will not will not only cut corruption, but will also improve transparency and efficiency, and minimize potential collusion among bidders, which is why several countries are establishing electronic government procurement systems, also known as e-GP systems.

Hiba Tahboub, Procurement Manager at the World Bank’s Governance practice.

Rwanda was not only the first African country to implement an e-GP system nationally, but also achieved the feat in a shorter span of time compared to other countries. Rwanda’s e-GP journey has the potential of creating a ripple effect across the continent and beyond.

After passing a new procurement law in 2007 which led to the establishment of the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority, the country began looking at relevant experiences on how to modernize its procurement system. Rwandan officials, for example, traveled to the Republic of Korea to learn from that country’s electronic procurement system, one of the most advanced in the world.

Then, in 2013, the Rwandan government approached the World Bank to fund a feasibility study on the implementation of its e-GP system. The feasibility study identified major challenges and recommended solutions. Some the challenges included: inconvenient business registration; inaccurate management information & analytics; lack of one-stop procurement portal; and inefficient document and records management system.

Based on the recommendations to tackle these challenges, Rwanda decided to develop the Rwanda e-GP system called UMUCYO, which means “Transparency” in the local language. UMUCYO, a web-based e-Procurement system, was developed as part of a World Bank-funded Public-Sector Reform Program-for-Results. The system consists of an online portal with modules for advertisement, e-bidding and disposal, evaluation, contract management, inspection and acceptance, framework agreements, catalog and shopping mall, where suppliers can register and submit bids online. The system is open to all, including national and foreign bidders. During the registration process the system automatically access the databases from the Rwanda Development Board to authenticate the registration status of bidders to make sure they are in good standing.

After a bid is accepted, for example, the system allows contract drafting and sending it to the winning bidder for review. After the supplier accepts and electronically signs the contract, the contract is shared with the Rwanda’s Financial Management Information System (SmartFMS) to issue a purchase order and to make payments.

With the support of the World Bank, in July 2016, the government launched a pilot program of the e-GP system in eight government ministries, agencies and districts. The World Bank provided technical assistance and capacity building during the development and roll out of the new system.

Before launching the pilot, a series of training were offered to government officials from the selected entities and the business communities on using the e-procurement system. Media and awareness-raising campaigns also were conducted across the country to encourage contractors and suppliers to register in the new system. The training was also extended to internet cafe operators to ensure that small and medium-size enterprises had access to opportunities in public procurement. The overall one-time cost of the project at $7.8 million covered the development of the e-GP system, data center equipment, and capacity building, as well as about $1.12 million in ongoing costs.

“While the initial investment in the system seems to be high, experience from around the world shows that e-procurement provides powerful cost management solutions that lead to significant savings in public spending,” said Hiba Tahboub, Procurement Manager at the World Bank’s Governance practice.

After one year of successfully piloting the system, the government rolled out the eGP nationwide beginning in July 2017. The only government entities not using eGP are schools, district hospitals and health centers. The system will be progressively rolled out to them in 2019/2020.

The system is already delivering some benefits to users, as per their feedback. The system, for instance, has reduced time and allowed cost savings for both government officials and contractors, as the single online portal provided all the documents and information required, eliminating the need for in-person visits and printing costs.

“The Procurement management of the Ministry has significantly improved as the result of use of the E-Procurement system,” said Mr. Yassin Iyamuremye, Director General of Corporate Service in MINAGRI. “The system also contributed in reducing fraud and corruption as there is no personal contact with bidders, and when complaints are received, these are responded to through the E-Procurement system in a transparent way.”

A World Bank assessment of Rwanda’s e-GP system, following the Multilateral-Development Banks e-GP Guidelines, showed the system and its implementation were in line with good international practices and could be used by World Bank-financed projects, and most likely all donor-funded projects.

The Director General of Rwanda Public Procurement Authority, Mr. Augustus Seminega, nicely summarized the benefits of Rwanda’s E-Procurement system: “Government procurement officials should take advantage of the time saved in transactions to ensure compliance, transparency, competition, fairness and dedicate more time to achieve value for money, efficiency and effectiveness.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Rwanda is Africa’s Emerging Top Travel Destination

November 14, 2019

Rwanda’s efforts to turn the country into one of the most alluring tourism destinations in the world seem to be paying off with its emergence as Africa’s top destination to travel to in 2020 and among the top 30 globally. This was released in a new ranking by travel group Travel Lemming which tracks trending destinations around the world as a solution to over tourism.

Among the attributes that were listed by voters on why Rwanda was an ideal destination is the growing connectivity via the national carrier RwandAir, safety and conservation efforts. It could be recalled that the World Economic Forum recently named Rwanda as the safest country in Africa and RwandAir slated to open direct flights from JFK (New York) to Kigali, 2020 is the best year yet to travel to Rwanda. This East African pearl is changing the African travel narrative in so many ways.

Chief Tourism Officer of the Rwanda Development Board Belise Kariza noted that this is in recognition of efforts of sector stakeholders in continuously improving Rwanda as a tourism destination. She noted that “visit Rwanda shares this award with the community members, conservationists, tourism operators and hoteliers who contribute every day to making Rwanda a special place to visit.”

Speaking on the development, Amarachi Ekekwe, one of the judges on the panel noted that “it will be exciting to visit Kigali to see its amazing transformation and to see the conservation efforts at its national parks”. Rwanda is at the top of my list to visit in Africa to experience its cultural mix and beautiful natural surrounds. While most people go to see the gorillas there are lots of other cultural heritage sites and experiences to be had,” added Amanda Mouttaki, another judge and the travel blogger behind Maroc Mama.

Travel Lemming is a travel blog founded by Nate Hake, an American who has been traveling the world full-time since 2016. The site’s mission is to help highlight emerging and underappreciated destinations as a way to fight over tourism. In October, Rwanda featured on Forbes’ list of the 20 best places to visit in 2020.
The exclusive list, drawn up based on sales and client aspirations, was made by travel agents of the Ovation Travel Group, a 35-year-old $1.4 billion travel company.A month ago, Rwanda’s tourism brand, ‘Visit Rwanda’ won a top award for destination excellence in luxury and experiential travel at the 2019 Luxperience Awards in Sydney, Australia. The Luxperience Travel Trade Exhibition is a luxury Business event that connects the most innovative experiential tourism and premium events specialists in the travel market.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

Mauritius and Rwanda Ranked Top 50 In The World On The Ease of Doing Business

October 24, 2019

Only two African economies rank in the top 50 on the ease of doing business, according to a report released by the World Bank. Mauritius ranks 13th, ahead of countries like Australia, Germany, Canada or China, while Rwanda ranks 38th, ahead of the Netherlands, Belgium or Hungary.

Top Ten African Countries

In terms of performance, about ten African countries are ranked in the first 100 in the world.

S/N	AFRICAN COUNTRIES	RANKING IN THE WORLD	SCORE (%)
1	Mauritius	13	81.5
2	Rwanda	38	76.5
3	Morocco	53	73.4
4	Kenya	56	73.2
5	Tunisia	78	68.7
6	South Africa	84	67.0
7	Zambia	85	66.9
8	Botswana	87	66.2
9	Togo	97	62.3
10	Seychelles	100	61.7

The Doing Business 2020 report also notes that effectiveness of trading across borders also varies significantly from economy to economy.

Economies that predominantly trade through seaports incur average export border compliance costs as high as $2,223 per shipment in the Democratic Republic of Congo and $1,633 in Gabon compared to only $354 in Benin and $303 in Mauritius, the report notes.

More than half of the economies in the top-20 cohort are from the OECD high-income group; however, the top-20 list also includes four economies from East Asia and the Pacific, two from Europe and Central Asia, as well as one from the Middle East and North Africa and one from Sub-Saharan Africa. Conversely, most economies (12) in the bottom 20 are from the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Economies that score highest on the ease of doing business share several common features, including the widespread use of electronic systems. All of the 20 top-ranking economies have online business incorporation processes, have electronic tax filing platforms, and allow online procedures related to property transfers.

The Doing Business 2020 data also suggest that a considerable disparity persists between low- and high-income economies on the ease of starting a business. An entrepreneur in a low-income economy typically spends about 50.0% of income per capita to launch a company, compared to just 4.2% for an entrepreneur in a high-income economy

Togo and Nigeria Ranked The Top Ten Improvers In The World

The Doing Business report also acknowledges the 10 economies that improved the most on the ease of doing business after implementing regulatory reforms.

In Doing Business 2020, the 10 top improvers are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Togo, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, China, India, and Nigeria (table O.2). These economies implemented a total of 59 regulatory reforms in 2018/19 — accounting for one-fifth of all the reforms recorded worldwide. Their efforts focused primarily on the areas of starting a business, dealing with construction permits, and trading across borders.

The motivation for reform in Nigeria, Tajikistan, and Togo was in part the developmental achievements of their neighbors. Rwanda’s progress over the past 10 years inspired authorities in Togo, leading several Togolese delegations to visit Kigali to learn about successful reforms. Togo’s president set a goal to be number one in West Africa in Doing Business 2020. To achieve this target, Togo made significant reform efforts in the areas of starting a business, registering property, and getting credit…

Nigeria has embarked on a comprehensive reform journey following the example of Kenya, the report notes.

Sub-Saharan Africa Remains The Weakest On The Ease Of Doing Business Index

The report notes that sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the weak-performing regions on the ease of doing business with an average score of 51.8, well below the OECD high-income economy average of 78.4 and the global average of 63.0. Compared to the previous year, Sub-Saharan African economies raised their average ease of doing business score by just 1 percentage point in Doing Business 2020, whereas economies in the Middle East and North Africa region raised their average score by 1.9.

The Worst Country In Africa To Do Business In

Somalia ranks the worst country in the world as well as in Africa to do business in, followed by Eritrea, Libya, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Congo Democratic Republic (DRC), Chad, others.

Global Performance

Worldwide, 115 economies made it easier to do business, according to the report. New Zealand however remains the number one country in the world in terms of ease of doing business, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, Denmark, Korea Republic, United States, Georgia, United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world

Forbes Woman Africa Announces First Regional Forum in Rwanda

July 24, 2019

FORBES WOMAN AFRICA is excited to announce the inaugural FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard, a Leading Women Summit initiative, to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, on 9 August 2019.

Coinciding with National Women’s Day in South Africa, the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard will bring together 250 powerful women from across East Africa and will follow in the footsteps of the bigger annual FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit, bringing a slice of this sought-after gathering to East Africa.

“The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum will echo the same fervor and sentiment as the flagship Leading Women Summit but in hosting it for the first time in East Africa, what I am very keen on is coming face-to-face with the women who are at the top of their game in this region – the guests and speakers on the day will be luminaries you don’t want to miss meeting,” says Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA and FORBES WOMAN AFRICA.

As an initiative by the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit, the full-day, not-to-be-missed event, which will debut in the East African nation, is to be hosted at the Kigali Serena Hotel and will feature some of the exciting content FORBES WOMAN AFRICA has consistently won awards for.

Beatrice Cornacchia, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Mastercard Middle East and Africa said: “African women are a force for economic growth and social change, and are playing a critical role in addressing the development challenges faced across the continent.

As cultural and social dynamics shift, we are beginning to see an environment where women can flourish, and demonstrate the value they offer to every industry and sector in the economy. We are proud to partner with Forbes Africa and believe that this initiative will help to create opportunities for women to reach their greatest potential.”

The 2019 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit on March 8 saw Supermodel, Philanthropist, Activist and Cultural Innovator Naomi Campbell headline the Durban event, alongside some of the most notable names in business, sports, politics, and the arts.

Further details and speaker profiles will soon be revealed in the buildup to the event.

The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard will be a by-invitation-only gathering and further information can be obtained by following @LWSummit on Twitter.

The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard will be managed and produced by ABN Event Productions.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

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Rwanda Gets Africa’s First Smartphone Powered By Blockchain

July 19, 2019

Take it or leave, innovative startups are never retiring to sleep soon. The game of disruption is hitting hard. Sooner or later, everything would soon be stretched to its limits. Pundi X has taken the first bold step.

Now in Rwanda, it has launched the first-ever Blockchain-powered smartphone on the African continent. The Singapore based technology company says the new phone blockchain mobile phone will allow everyone to make a phone call on the blockchain.

Here Is How The Whole Thing Works

The blockchain-powered smartphone is to be known as XPhone, and very much unlike many phones powered by android, IOS and Windows systems, the XPhone is powered by Function X (FX) operating system — a blockchain system.
According to Pundi X, a blockchain phone uses blockchain technology which powers many things like bitcoin, digital land titles, and medical records.
With XPhone, users are connected to the blockchain — everything they do from texting and calling to taking photos and browsing is transmitted via the blockchain.
In this sense, users are in control of their data.
In a case of Rwanda, for instance, if you had an XPhone, MTN or Airtel would not be able to access your information.
Blockchain as an emerging technology is increasingly becoming popular with many applications being invented every day.
The technology is mostly known for financial services. This is the technology that powers bitcoin and ethereum (the world’s top digital currencies).
The technology enables people to own digital money and transact between themselves without the presence of intermediary or central authority like financial institutions.
In some parts of the world, people are already using bitcoin (a form of electronic money) to make transactions without the need of banks, purchase goods and services and buy music online.
But blockchain technology is generally considered to have other real-life applications like helping in designing smart contracts, enable digital voting, create digital Ids, and enhance supply chain management, just to mention but a few.

The startup unveiled the phone, XPhone, at the GSMA Mobile 360 Africa and it said it was the first blockchain mobile phone launched in Africa.

“The XPhone allows everyone to make a phone call on the blockchain,” Zac Cheah, the company’s chief executive officer said while unveiling the phone.

Xphone Is Out To Confront Data Mining By Mobile Network Providers

Here is why Xphone is the deal:

XPhone will have no centralized service provider, making it secure as consumers are in charge of their own data. Very much like no MTN, or Vodafone or Orange.
The XPhone has an open-source which means that anyone that is interested to build applications and services can do it easily.
The blockchain smartphone will enable you to make a smooth transition between blockchain and traditional Android mode.
The company says it plans to produce only 5,000 XPhones in late 2019, but that it was looking to partner with telecommunication companies to produce more blockchain phones.

This is a huge moment for all the stakeholders in the mobile telephone industry. Blockchain phones would definitely serve some purposes: eliminate data mining by spy groups; store information permanently into the blockchain; (making it easier to retrieve information on occasions of lost phones)as well as have access to normal phone services.

Now, here is one problem Zac Cheah and his startup would have to face: Zac Cheah and his startup are likely to face quite some questions regarding whether the new phone could be easily commercially and widely accepted as people take a while to adopt some of these complex technologies. To put the question succinctly, how many people know what blockchain technology is?

Another thing: government regulations and approvals! This could be another puzzle for the entrepreneurs since most governments across the world have been less responsive to large scale adoption of blockchain technology.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world.