Regional integration is a key pillar of the country’s vision 2020. This is inevitable given the size of Rwanda’s domestic market and the fact that it is non-coastal.

Rwanda can particularly benefit from increased market size available from economic integration and improved transport and communication links, Rwanda has made significant progress in establishing a policy as well as trade liberalization in the region.

Reference is made to the recent integration of Rwanda into East African Community and in recent days amounted to zero custom on East African manufactured merchandise.

However, one reading or hearing the issue of integration may be a usual expression and fail to take serious connotation of it’s meaning but simply integration is coupled as "an umbrella term that describes an ongoing process of establishing various personal, cultural, and business relationships with other countries”.

But this can’t be attained at a very critical moment, it is a process that embodies an increasing view of the world as a community.

People and companies are interacting with others in different countries more than ever before. This includes personal communication between people that live on the other side of the world from each other.

Companies are now striving to open markets in developing countries, instead of only delivering products and services domestically.

Technology is beginning to expand across nations. Information is being shared with a multitude of people throughout the world in a fraction of the time that it would take to contact someone down the hall from your office.

There is a growing interdependence of one country on another. The process of integration appears to be accelerating and growing rapidly.

As time goes by, it appears that we are moving to a world where the lines that divide one country from another will begin to blur and eventually fade away entirely.

Today Rwanda has initiated a process of zero custom charges on EAC goods and 24 hour working systems in Rwanda borders, but still, really are we ready to help the government of Rwanda to achieve its target as streamlined in vision 2020?

I will not have a straight answer to this issue but it should be thought of as natives; however I will give out my recommendations on how these targets may be obstructed by some obscure typeset like poor customer care services which symbolize whether institutions are private or public organs.

Another important point is the need to improve on the quality of local products in order to compete with those from neighbouring countries.

Why for example would people prefer brewry products like pilsner, bell and tusker to local brands like Primus.

Then, there is the issue of working hours. Some businesses are not yet open by 8:00am, and by 6:00pm, many will have closed shop.

This is in addition to the many holidays and weekends when busineeses are shut down. A new and better attitude towards customer care is the way to go.
 
emmyndaho@yahoo.com