President Paul Kagame joined over 3500 participants and 700 leaders for the Milken Institute Global Conference held in Los Angeles, yesterday.

President Kagame began the day with the traditional corporate investor roundtable where speakers also included former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former President of Mexico Vicente Fox.

The annual discussion brings together leaders to further private and public sector partnerships and discuss successful policies aimed at improving investment.

Addressing leaders from various sectors, including infrastructure, renewable energy, finance and ICT, President Kagame highlighted the role of business in creating prosperity, according to a statement from his office.

"The urgency to act is not only about businesses having returns, it is about what businesses leave behind and how many lives are transformed. The more lives are transformed, the better it is for business,” Kagame said.

The President added that although perceived risks far outnumber real risks when it comes to investing in Africa, it is the responsibility of governments to reduce risks and decrease the cost of doing business.

Sharing the example of the one-area network that reduced roaming fees between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda’s mobile operators and led to a 300 per cent increase in subscribers, Kagame emphasised the role of political will in implementing policies that can benefit both citizens and the private sector.

Kagame, who is attending the conference for the third time, will participate in a session on actions needed to make the world better for women and girls as well as a panel discussion on exploring the future of Africa.

The four-day conference brings together leaders, including investors, governmemembers of the media practitioners from 55 different countries.

The Milken Institute is a non-profit, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to increase global prosperity by advancing collaborative solutions that widen access to capital, create jobs and improve health.

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