President meets Mkapa and ICF delegation

VILLAGE URUGWIRO - President Kagame yesterday met Benjamin Mkapa, former Tanzanian President and other members of the visiting Investment Climate Facility (ICF) delegation at his offices in Village Urugwiro. The delegation led by Mkapa, the organization’s Co-Chair, briefed the President on their projects – progress and future plans. “We spoke to the President and he assured us of his will in supporting the projects,” Mkapa told reporters shortly after their meeting, adding that they were “here” because their first project was in the country. Accompanying Mkapa at Village Urugwiro was David Stanton, ICF’s Director of Projects who explained that the ICF is an initiative of the G8 countries whose aim is to assist African countries to make structures more attractive for investment. ICF is considered an exceptional partnership between private companies, development partners and governments which works at removing existing barriers to doing business in Africa and boosting the continent’s economic growth. “We work with countries which are seeking to change,” Stanton said.He pointed out that their first major project– land registration – was going on ‘extremely well’ because it was being done as a partnership with government, and referred to it as a ‘true partnership.’ In Rwanda, their undertakings reportedly involve a three-year project to modernize the Commercial Justice systems and processes for business in addition to the land component. IFC is also reportedly in the process of implementing anti-counterfeits and piracy reforms in the East Africa Community (EAC) member states. Ends

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President meets Mkapa and ICF delegation