An unknown number of employees of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) risk losing their jobs or going on an unpaid leave as the body struggles to meet its budget partly attributable to the on-going global crisis.

PSF is a professional organization, dedicated to promote and represent the interests of the Rwandan business community.

Unconfirmed reports yesterday indicated that the federation based in Gikondo, Kicukiro district, is financially hard hit and has already alerted its employees about the move, which, as reported, will soon be implemented. 

PSF is partly financially supported by Government, but also gets funding from contributions of its members and donor partners like the European Union (EU), World Bank, and GTZ that mainly channel assistance to financing research studies.

The financial problem is attributed partly to members of the body who default on their annual contributions and yet government resources allocated to the body are insufficient.

The employees likely to be affected by the scale down are those who operate at the federation’s headquarters and at least half of staff number would be affected.

In a bid to bring their services closer to the people, the federation runs Business Development Service centres in all the provinces of the country. 

When contacted, the PSF Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Hategeka, could neither confirm nor deny the reports, only saying that the organization has been hit hard by the financial crisis and that restructuring of employees had been in the pipeline.

"We are yet to do that. PSF is also undergoing restructuring to be able to cope with the ongoing financial crisis,” the PSF boss said.

"A number of companies have been down-sizing. We shall let you know as soon as it is official,” he added.

PSF is an umbrella organization that brings together nine professional chambers of commerce. It was established in December 1999, replacing the former Rwanda Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Asked on whether the organization’s donor partners had reduced their funding, Hategeka was non committal saying that; "When finances are not there you have to adjust accordingly.” 

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