Red-tape a threat to 'Brand Rwanda'

Editor, RE: “Made in Rwanda is a win for all – Kanimba” (The New Times, March 17). The article highlighted the many resolutions passed at the recently concluded 13th National Leadership Retreat. As President Paul Kagame very rightly stressed during this retreat, it was important to “act” rather than “talk”. Some time ago, a private investor, University of Kigali, complained about the inordinate long delay in getting the necessary licenses from the Ministry of Education to commence operations. While they finally did get the license, they lost valuable time and money due to long delays. Likewise, another investor in the education sector, Mahatma Gandhi University, has been waiting for months to get the necessary license to commence their operations at their multi-million-dollar project in Kabuga. This investor has actually transferred their Chief Operating Officer from their California campus to Kigali and have also enlisted faculty from Europe and America to ensure world-class, quality education at their new campus. Yet they have been facing challenges and have not been able to commence full operations, resulting in substantial losses. For “Brand Rwanda” to be effective, investor facilitation is imperative and concerned ministries should ensure that necessary licenses are issued in a reasonable timeframe. Otherwise whether it is ‘Made in Rwanda’, ‘Invest in Rwanda’…and numerous other initiatives, the country will unfortunately lose its cutting edge and Remarkable Rwanda’s Vision 2020 will be difficult to achieve. Clarence Fernandes

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Red-tape a threat to 'Brand Rwanda'