Rwamagana District officials have been urged to save and invest through capital market to safeguard the future and that of their families and support the country’s development initiatives.

Pierre Celestin Rwabukumba, the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) chief executive officer, said investing shares of firms listed on the bourse supports the government’s programmes to enhance investments and savings in the country.

Rwabukumba added that the stock exchange is a secure avenue for people looking to save and invest for the long-term. The RSE chief was on Thursday addressing Rwamagana District staff and members of financial institutions in the area as part of the ongoing capital markets sensitisation programme.

Speaking at the event, Ignace Munyandinda, the Rwanda National Investment Trust (RNIT) finance and administration manager, advised the participants to save through RNIT Iterambere Fund, noting that one can save or invest in the Fund with as low as Rwf2,000.

He added that the Fund is open to individuals and Institutional investors. "Every Rwandan investor who wants to contribute to the country’s growth story can do so with ease through Iterambera Fund,” he said.

He added that the fund is growing faster and those who invested in it last year have started getting benefits. We are all confident that the fund will be able to meet investors’ expectations.

The Rwamagana District director of business development and employment promotion unit, Guy Semahoro, pledged to encourage residents and staff to start investing on the stock market.

"Though we use other saving channels, we will start saving and investing through the capital market because it will enable us to diversify our sources of income and safeguard our financial future,” Semahoro said.

The Capital Market Authority (CMA) kicked off the three-month public awareness drive at the beginning of October and is targeting potential retail investors across the country, encouraging them to save and invest through the local bourse. Next week the campaign continues in the City of Kigali and in Kicukiro District.

This year’s National Savings Week was on the theme, "Our Savings, Our Wealth”. During the week, CMA officials encouraged Rwandans to embrace the culture of saving as a way to increase wealth and sustain economic development.