Business round-up

Uganda Air Cargo to fly to Rwanda Uganda Air Cargo Corporation (UACC) is planning to fly into Rwanda after acquiring two passenger charter planes, which will be unveiled next week. A statement from the carrier company said that Rwanda will be part of it’s destinations that include Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Somalia among other African countries. However, Director General of the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Richard Masozera said that he is not aware of UACC’s plans though it is possible that they plan to fly into Rwanda. “But only if they meet the conditions required here.”UACC, which was part of the defunct Uganda Airlines, says that two planes will provide the convenience and comfort of air charter for passengers. UK firm to issue smart cards De-la Rue, a UK based firm has partnered with the national ID project to start issuing smart cards before the end of the year. Smart cards will link different services provided by different institutions like banks, super-markets and medical insurances. According to Pascal Nyamulinda, the coordinator of the National ID project, about 25,000 people need smart cards services in Rwanda. These cards have a chip with a client’s personal details and also the services accessed. This project has been combined with the national ID and the driving license which has seen the government spend USD18 million. IFC boosts human resource from 60 hospitality facilities The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has trained 60 small and medium hotels on management skills after partnering with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB and Maxinet. Jean Mukunzi, a trainer with IFC said that the training focuses on small and medium hotel owners because many are not qualified to run their businesses, according to surveys. This follows a series of trainings that IFC has conducted previously on the big hotels as the World Bank group member continues to building capacity. WB reaffirms Rwanda’s impressive business climate Based on the business reforms to improve business climate, Rwanda is most favoured among her African counterparts to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), the World Bank Africa Region Vice President, Obiageli Ezekwesili said. This follows Rwanda’s recent ranking as “World’s top reformer” in this year’s World Bank Doing Business report. The country was the first African country to be regarded as a global reformer, which positions it well to attract foreign investment. “We are very proud of Rwanda for coming top on ‘Doing Business’ rankings report of the World Bank because they embarked on those reforms of improving the investment environment,” Ezekwesili said at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings. ”We are saying to countries that if you maintain with this reforms, when foreign direct investments comes back , investors will see your country as an attractive investment destination,” she added. 1,000 tonnes of scrap exported in three monthsDealers in the scrap industry attached to the Rwanda Scrap Association (RSA) exported about 1,000 tonnes of ferrous substances over the last three months. The association’s Executive Secretary, Francis Twahirwa said that this follows a green light from government were two metals (iron and steel) are exempted from the category barred from exportation in the 2009/10 budget. “Steel and Iron are categorised in B of the proposal and not A, something that was confusing us earlier,” he explained.Rwanda’s budget read under the East African Community (EAC) calendar, announced a proposal stipulating a ban on the exportation of metallic scrap. It was also aimed at halting wreckage and uprooting of certain infrastructure like electrical cables across the region. School heads join national customer care campaign The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) partnered with the Teachers Service Commission to train all primary and secondary school heads on customer care for two weeks. The training will involve teacher to teacher trainings, followed by a customer care month where students will be taught on customer care delivery. The last session will be a parent-child customer care day during which plays, poems and essays will be presented to parents by their children at each school. These plays, poems and essays will showcase elements of bad and good customer care, the cost of bad customer care to communities and businesses, and how it can be improved,” it says. Govt to establish e-procurement to curb corruption Government has proposed automation of procurement procedures, a move that will enhance the efforts to curb corruption in the country. The system will allow all procurement procedures be monitored at the central server and records will be monitored on a daily basis. “Days are gone when we used to seat and be told we lost billions because the system will have a daily reconciliation, reverse transaction and stop cashed checks,” said David Kanamugire Director of ICT in the President’s office. The structure’s objective is to increase efficiency and foster integrity in the procurement procedures. WB adopts Rwanda’s non-tariff barrier report The World Bank (WB) adopted Rwanda’s report on the assessment of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) paving way for action against such hindrances. According to Emmanuel Hategeka the Chief Executive Officer of PSF, the World Bank adoption of this report is recognition of the existence of the barriers along both the northern and central corridors leading to Mombasa port. “The adoption of the report will also help us in the future monitoring of the non- tariff barriers.” The World Bank adoption of this report was in July during the stakeholders meeting that was organized by the EAC member states along side East African Business Council (EABC) seeking to smoothen cross boarder trading. Ends