Kagame hails Private Sector

KIGALI - PRESIDENT Paul Kagame, on Friday evening, hosted entrepreneurs from the country’s Private sector to a cocktail, to thank them for the massive support they gave him during the election period and the role they have played in the country’s development. Kagame said that the country’s entrepreneurs form a great pillar on which the economy is built, and through their efforts, greatly contribute to the development of the country. The President particularly thanked the private sector for contributing to the campaign fund, canvassing for votes and turning up to, overwhelmingly, to vote him back into office. Kagame went on to say that he will do what it takes to facilitate doing business, to an even higher level. He noted that the elections could not have come at a better time especially when there was smear campaign against Rwanda by a few people who think they can speak on behalf of the country. The President pointed out that the polls provided Rwandans with the opportunity to express their choice, which they did by, overwhelmingly, voting RPF back into office. He added that the polls provided a platform for Rwandans to showcase the progress that has been achieved, and by the RPF candidate garnering 93.8%, Rwandans had made a clear statement to the country’s critics that they know what they want. Kagame, however, warned that the job is not yet done. With some individuals still out there determined to tarnish the country’s image, he said, the only solution is to build a firmer, more stable and developed state that cannot be shaken by the rhetoric of detractors. Urging the business community to double their efforts, Kagame said that the only way to silence such detractors is to draw determination from the criticism and multiply their efforts towards fostering economic progress and development. The President went on to say that the detractors were now changing their rhetoric after realising that their claims against the RPF-led government weren’t drawing any attention. Noticing that their rhetoric has been challenged, the country’s detractors have now shifted to the argument that economic progress has been achieved, but that there are other areas still lacking, Kagame said. He wondered what the meaning of freedom was, if people were dying of hunger and poverty, adding that Rwandans know their rights and freedoms, and they have achieved them through food security, medical care, children attending school and mothers delivering safely. Kagame went on to say that freedom is when a country can be self sustaining; its citizens can support themselves and not a country where citizens will stay on their knees begging for foreign support. He said that the most important freedom is to empower the people to be self sustaining, and that that’s what all other freedoms are built around. Kagame called on the business community to continued playing their part in order to ensure elimination of aid dependency and the culture of begging. President Kagame said that the government will seek ways to provide low interest loans to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that can be paid over a long time but the owners would be required to use the credit to grow their businesses and invest the returns. Kagame reminded the business community that Rwanda’s population of 11 million is a sizeable market which they should take advantage of. Business persons, Jacques Rusirare of Ameki Color, Evariste Sebacuruzi and Agnes Mumaranyota gave their testimonies on how they have managed to grow successful businesses under the RPF government. Ends