BUSINESS ROUND-UP

Tractor assembling plant eyes Rwandan market Ugiran Limited Company, a Ugandan based firm that assembles Massey Ferguson brand of tractors and agricultural machinery is set to open offices in Rwanda this year. Fred K. Mwesigye, the Chairman Ugiran Limited said that by mid this year, the company would open an office in Rwanda to serve markets in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In its hunt for a regional presence, Ugrian has already opened offices in Kenya and is in the process of also opening up an office in Tanzania. Currently, the company is looking for a partner in Rwanda with a workshop to work in. Using agricultural tractors he said would enable farmers in Rwanda to cultivate larger areas and grow more produce to meet subsistence and commercial demands. Ugiran Limited Company, the only assembling plant in East Africa, is a joint venture between National Enterprise Company (NEC), a Ugandan firm and Iran Tractor Corporation Company (ITMCO) from Iran. Entrepreneurs to acquire product ‘quality marks’ The Ministry of Trade and Industry appealed to local entrepreneurs to obtain certified product ‘quality marks’. While launching the Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) quality mark at Kigali Serena hotel, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Minister of Trade and Industry said that obtaining a quality mark was a prerequisite if entrepreneurs are to compete globally. The mark analyses the excellence of an organisation, its products and services. It guarantees quality for products thereby raising consumers’ awareness in making quick and wise decisions during purchase, which Nsanzabaganwa says offers an entrepreneur comparative advantage over others. She added that its introduction is an economic reform by government in preparation for competitiveness, as Rwanda opens doors for regional and international competition. There are only two products in Rwanda that are certified with RBS quality mark including Nil drinking water and Mitzig. As a sign of quality and assures of product safety, the mark is awarded by RBS after compliance of a product with a set of requirements governing quality, which are accorded in the regional Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Metrology and Testing (SQMT) Act 2006. Release of business barriers report postponed A report on business barriers in Rwanda that was supposed to be released in January will be out later this month. According to Emmanuel Rutagengwa, Private Sector Federation (PSF)’s policy analyst, the report was delayed because of the printing that is being done in South Africa. Dubbed, ‘Cutting the costs of red tape for business in Rwanda’, the report is expected to be presented to President Paul Kagame at official release. Once released, the report is to set the pace for ironing out the identified business blockades. As a result improve business trends in the country and attract external investors. The study by Strategic Business Partnerships for Growth in Africa, a South African firm was about compliance costs and administrative barriers affecting businesses in Rwanda. It was funded by German Agency for Technical Cooperation [GTZ] and covered 400 businesses countrywide. RBD braces itself for ‘Kwita Izina’ Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has announced a schedule for the 5th anniversary of the gorilla naming ceremony, which is commonly known as ‘Kwita Izina’. Information from RDB revealed that the ‘Kwita Izina’ event will be held on the 20th June, in Musanze district (former Ruhengeri). It will be a celebration for every gorilla’s birth and the success of efforts to conserve the endangered species. The dates are in line with the United Nations (UN)’s declaration of 2009 as the “Year of the Gorilla”. “We shall celebrate the birth of 11 gorillas that will be given names. We use this event to raise awareness on the plight of this endangered species,” reads the statement. As the country’s premier tourism event, it is expected to contribute greatly to the projected 1.14 million visitors this year. These according to RDB, will generate $224 million (Rwf.125.4 billion) of revenues, representing a 4.5 percentage increase over last year’s earnings. Employees from CSR, RAMA merger Employees of the Social Security Fund of Rwanda (SSFR) and the Rwanda Medical Insurance (RAMA) have been merged following cabinet’s order to merger the two bodies into the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). This was said by Henry Gaperi, the Director General of the SSFR, adding that there will be a new structure to take the functions of the RSSB, which requires the human skills from the two organisations. It is believed that RAMA has a substantial number of field staff, well as CSR today has about 350 employees. The merger of CSR and RAMA was announced on Wednesday last week after a cabinet meeting chaired by the President Paul Kagame. Ends