To become a MICE hub, we must invest heavily in skills development

Editor, RE: “Budget Day: Call for larger tax base” (The New Times, June 8). I agree with Angelo Musinguzi (senior manager at KPMG). Investing in skills and knowledge of Rwanda’s workforce should take a good chunk of the budget. For us to create 200,000 jobs every year, skills sets and knowledge have to match the demand on the market. Today we are looking at MICE, ICT innovations, mechanized agriculture, improved agro-processing centres and specialized health services. All these potential areas of investment require capacities to be implemented. In a value chain approach, let’s take a simple example for mega conferences to take place in the country – we need global brand hotels in place, but that is not enough; we need well trained hotel staff with 5-star skills to work for these hotels; we need food suppliers who understand the quality of food that fits a 5-star hotel; we need IT services that respond to all challenges on the spot. We also need 5-star hospital services to provide emergency solutions. All these areas require us to revisit the priority skills needed in the market, empower and package our youth while attracting relevant investments that fit the strategy. Another example is that health services in the region remain very poor, with a few managing to get treatment in Nairobi and a good number having to fly to India. This indicates the potential for us to invest in specialized health services and turn the health sector a medical tourism product. Also, remember that nobody goes for health treatment in India and does not consume other services while undergoing treatment or those who go there to take care of their loved ones. Hotels, restaurants, transporters, shopping malls all make money as a result. This is an area that we should really develop but it requires us to look at it from a strategic angle and package the required capacities while interesting our private sector to look at all these opportunities. Capacity building has to move hand in hand with investment prioritisation. Richard Niwenshuti

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To become a MICE hub, we must invest heavily in skills development