Parliament set to host two-day conference on law reform

A two-day conference on the role of law reforms in transacting business in Rwanda gets underway this Thursday at Parliament buildings in Kigali.The meeting, initiated by Parliament with support from the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) aims at reviewing the role of law reforms in promoting business in the country.Briefing journalists at the Senate plenary yesterday, MP Connie Bwiza Sekamana, the chairperson of the Chamber of Deputies standing Committee on Economy and Trade said over 45 business legislations were enacted since 2000 to regulate legal reforms in business. She said these laws are not static and are reviewed in accordance with changes in the business environment.“The legal environment has numerous opportunities that people need to know if they are to advance in business,” she said.Bwiza cited the 2007 law establishing the Rwanda geology and mines authority, the 2013 law on mineral tax, the law relating to commercial recovery and settlement of issues arising from insolvency and the land law among others.The president of the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Development and Finance, Senator Perrine Mukankusi, said the conference will highlight the benefits people get from the current laws.Over 200 people, including business experts are expected at the conference. Rwanda is currently ranked number 32, worldwide, for enacting business reforms.This, according to Mukankusi is not enough and is the reason Parliament is going an extra mile to enact reforms. Amb. Valentine Rugwabiza, the RDB CEO, said change in the country’s business environment will not be championed by the government alone, but by all – including the private sector.“In whatever we are doing, we need to ensure that private businesses become competitive in Rwanda and beyond,” Amb. Rugwabiza said.Private sector concerns Gerald Mukubu, the director of advocacy in Private Sector Federation (PSF), acknowledged the achievements but also highlighted the challenges they intend to table at the conference.Investors in the hotel sector, for example, he said, are burdened by tax payment even before they break even.“Many hotels are facing problems. It would be fair if they are given at least five years’ tax holiday to enable them work, earn and be able to ably pay tax later,” he said, adding that a study is being conducted to establish the exact number of affected new hotel establishments.Mukubu raised concerns over mining taxes, tax exemption for ICT equipment and the private sector’s request to have more incentives in the agriculture sector.With respect to ICT equipment entering the East African Community, he said the equipment is exempted from Value added tax (VAT) but the spare parts are not.“Why can’t the spare parts also be exempted? They are components of the machinery!” he asked, adding that agriculture too is so risky a sector to ignore.“Investing in this sector is risky such that to enter into agribusiness, one needs incentives to cushion against the risks attached to seasonality.”

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Parliament set to host two-day conference on law reform