PSF to reinforce negotiation skills among business community

HUYE–The Private Sector Federation (PSF) has pledged to build the capacities of district committees to equip them with enough skills to advocate for the rights of their members.

Thursday, August 23, 2012
PSF deputy CEO, Gerard Nkusi Mukubu.

HUYE–The Private Sector Federation (PSF) has pledged to build the capacities of district committees to equip them with enough skills to advocate for the rights of their members.The PSF deputy CEO, Gerard Nkusi Mukubu, said this Tuesday when the federation organised training workshops on advocacy in Nyanza, Huye District targeting members of the district committees in all the districts of the Southern Province.Mukubu said some members lacked negotiation and advocacy skills to represent their members."We are putting together our efforts to make sure these representatives handle their tasks appropriately,” Mukubu explained."We hope after this function, they will be well equipped to effectively handle this”.He noted that part of the PSF mandate is to help them address and seek solutions to problems hampering the development of their businesses.He observed that the federation is seeking to enhance communication between the private and public sectors to improve the situation.During an intense interactive session, PSF members pointed out a number of challenges they face, among them, high taxes, violation of contract terms, excessive penalties, theft and the lack of proper communication with the public sector."The challenges are varied as our members are involved in different activities,” observed Christophe Karorero, PSF representative in Huye District."But, we hope to discuss with all concerned parties, including the Rwanda Revenue Authority and the local government, on how to help address the challenges”.Karorero called on legislators to consult them before drafting any law that could impact their activities.The vice mayor in charge of economic affairs in Huye District, Cyprien Mutwarasibo, attributed some of the challenges to ignorance of existing laws. He pledged his commitment to keep sensitising PSF members on the laws for better understanding.