The Capital Market Advisory Council (CMAC) yesterday sensitised the Senators on the importance of capital markets and long term investment.

CMAC is primarily responsible for regulating the capital markets--a component of the financial sector that deals in financial securities.

Securities are usually long dated financial instruments like treasury bonds, municipal bonds and debentures.

"Understanding the capital markets is compulsory not only for Rwandans but all Africans because it is the reality through which savings can be mobilised and the economies raise the capital,” Robert Mathu Executive Director of CMAC told the upper chamber.

CMAC seeks to teach the general public about the benefits of investing through the capital markets which include savings which are accumulated through investing in securities that are listed in the capital markets.

Mathu also stressed that economic independence of the country can only be  achieved by the citizens investing in the markets thus allowing them to participate in the growth of the economy.

The trading of securities in Rwanda is done through Rwanda Over The Counter (OTC) market which has since January 2008 traded  Rwf 643 million worth of bonds in 52 transactions.

The sensitisation was part of the country wide public education awareness programme that has seen CMAC visit the thirty districts in the country and more than 2000 people receiving training on investment potential and opportunities.

During the session, Olivier Kamanzi the Deputy Executive Officer of CMAC said that CMAC’s vision is to be a key contributor to Rwanda’s bid of  becoming a competitive financial center in the region and beyond.

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