Former British Prime Minister,Tony Blair yesterday opened a new juice plant in Nyirangarama belonging to Urwibutso Enterprises.

The company is famous for processing Agashya juice brands. Blair who is in the country for the second time this year as President Paul Kagame’s voluntary  adviser, toured several private sector businesses in Kigali and Rulindo districts.

He was accompanied by Francis Gatare, the Director General of Rwanda Investment and Export Promotions Agency (RIEPA) and several members of Blair’s team.

The Managing Director of Urwibutso Enterprises, Gerard Sina conducted Blair around the old and new juice factory plants.

During the tour, he stated that the new plant will have a positive impact on the surrounding areas as it will provide market for their fruits.  

Blair later visited the privately operated Rwanda Call Centre at the Rwanda Information and Technology Authority (RITA)offices in Kacyiru.

He also visited Gasabo 3D Services, an engineering and technology firm also based in RITA offices.

He advised the two firms to enhance their brands by embarking on massive promotion campaigns.

He also said that they need to work fast so as to break even  According to documents from the Strategy and Policy Unit in the President’s office, from the time he started offering his advisory services to President Kagame last year, the Office of Tony Blair (OTB) has been working towards attracting investors to Rwanda and promoting the country overseas.

Since they opened offices in Rwanda, the OTB team have been involved in the creation of the Rwanda Development Board, "which will be a genuine one-stop-shop for investors as well as supporting the genesis of Rwanda’s economic development policy and Business Climate Project”.

This is geared towards improving the Doing Business in Rwanda index measured by the World Bank.

Blair served as Prime Minister of Britain for 10 years before stepping down in June 2007 and offering to serve Kagame as a non paid advisor.

He is also an envoy of the US, UK, Russia and EU in their efforts to bring peace in the Middle East.

He has emphasised that he is committed to helping the development of the private sector in the country.

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