The Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR) has unveiled a training programme that seeks to strengthen the capacity of Sector Savings and Credit Co-operatives (Umurenge SACCOs) to deliver financial services in rural areas, writes Peterson Tumwebaze.

Jean Pierre Uwizeye, the head of capacity building and financial education at AMIR, said the training is essential because the majority of SACCO personnel lack capacity, especially in cash flow lending and business analysis skills.

"The training also aims at creating awareness on the importance of supporting and lending to small-and-medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) that often lack collateral to secure credit,” he said.

Uwizeye said the training that starts next week with 48 SACCO employees, will later on be scaled up to cover all the 416 Umurenge SACCOs in the country. It will equip participants with skills on how to analyse business plans and proposals, loan portfolio audits, financial risk management, as well as interest rate and market analysis strategies.

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