KIGALI - Banque Populaire du Rwanda fought off stiff competition from Serena Hotels, KCB Rwanda, and Kigali Bus Services to emerge as RDB’s best investor of 2010. In a colourful ceremony that attracted over one hundred guests, including several ministers and investors at Serena on Friday, Bank Populaire officials were delighted to hear the their bank declared as the best investor from a list of ten companies. The bank was also named as the best finance institution of 2010, succeeding Sorwathe, a tea processing company that won the prestigious award last year.Sorwathe was named the best exporter, although it failed to make the final list of best investor nominees this time round. Commonly referred to as “Banki y’abaturage” (loosely translated as “the people’s bank”) Populaire boasts 18 branches and 109 sub branches spread across the country.In September 2010, it introduced mobile banking and within four months, it had registered 43,000 users. The CEO of RDB, John Gara, commended the awards as unique from the previous years, whereby for the first time in the three years that the awards have been held, an SME was included in each of the fifteen categories. “The Business Excellence Awards are now acknowledged as the most prestigious awards in the investment sector and are in recognition of the great achievements and milestones our partners in the private sector have achieved,” Gara said in his address. “This event will recognize corporate enterprises with a new focus on SMEs, customer care, women in business and young entrepreneurs.” The award for best woman entrepreneur of 2010 was given to Zulfat Mukarubega, the founder of Rwanda Tourism University College, whereas the best young entrepreneur was Bonaventure Niyitegeka, the Managing Director of Virunga Express, a road transportation company. Ujenge, a general contractor and construction company was named best SME of 2010. MTN Rwanda was named best Customer Care Company of 2010. Its telecom competitor, TIGO, received the most nominations but failed to win a single category. Ends
