Ethical committees to check errant contractors - Rwigamba

NYAMAGABE – The Private Sector Federation (PSF) is coming up with measures to tame contractors who breach contracts, Molly Rwigamba, the Federation’s acting Chief Executive Officer said. Speaking during a consultative meeting with the business community in Nyamagabe district on Tuesday, Rwigamba said that Business Ethical committees will be set up in districts as part of attempts to protect the image of the private sector and hold business persons accountable. This comes amid increasing cases of contractors who fail to honour contracts signed especially with public institutions. “A committee made up of business persons of integrity will be set up in every district to ensure that business people adhere to set business ethics. It is this committee that will mediate in any business conflict that arises before matters could be taken to court,” Rwigamba said. During the meeting, the PSF’s action plan for 2010 was also unveiled.Among the key highlights of the plan was the annual business plan competition. “Through this competition, we try to mobilise people with good business ideas in the technical and vocational field. We created a guarantee fund for them in Bank Populaire where the best 100 businesses can access loans of about Rwf10million at an interest rate of 14 percent for a period of four years,” she added. The business community was urged to partner with district authorities in the framework of Private Public Partnerships. On the changes in the Business Development Service (BDS), Rwigamba said that it is meant to make its services demand-driven. “We have changed from the old approach where we had full time staff to a new the approach where we now have a BDS consultant who will charge fees from the business community at a subsidised rate,” she said. “The consultant will provide services as they will be demanded by you, it is the business community that will express their needs and the federation will work on meeting them.” She added that another program; the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) seeks to address the problem of lack of skills locally which leads to a high cost of doing business in the country. Ends