Local firms woo the Diaspora

CHICAGO - During the just concluded Rwanda Day in Chicago, USA, several local companies participated in an exhibition aimed at showcasing investment opportunities available in the country in which the Rwandan Diaspora members could invest. Rwanda Development Bank (BRD), Bank of Kigali (BK), Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), Capital Markets Advisory Council (CMAC), Real Contractors, Rwanda Development Board (RDB), National Land Centre and Gahaya Links, among others, took part in the exhibition. The CEO of BRD, Jack Nkusi Kayonga, said that the bank showcased the products they can offer to the Diaspora members, especially in real estate, following BRD’s takeover of the Housing Bank. “We showcased our mortgage products which they can take advantage of to acquire houses back home through the bank, especially now that BRD took over the housing bank,” “It is something that most of the people expressed interest in, and we expect the Diaspora to utilise this,” Kayonga told The New Times from Chicago. Among other things, BRD showcased various loan products available, including in the sectors of agriculture and livestock, hotels and tourism, water and energy, education and healthcare, export, ICT and telecommunications as well as the manufacturing industry. BK also showcased its account facilities to enable members of the Diaspora to repatriate money back home, free of charge, as well as mortgage facilities with flexible interest rates, repayment period and individual participation in the projects. CMAC and Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) showcased the Capital Market Development and opportunities in Rwanda including company shares currently trading, and upcoming IPO offers for BK. RDB exhibited investment opportunities in Rwanda in the priority sectors and the progress Rwanda has made in Doing Business and how this has increased investments in the country. Small booklets plus info packets including a guide to invest in Rwanda, information on tourism in Rwanda, ICT opportunities, and agriculture were exhibited at the RDB desk. RDB, in collaboration with several human capital and development initiatives, provided information on available job and internship opportunities in Rwanda, targeting Rwandan students studying abroad. The National Land Centre booth became a platform to answer questions on various topics mainly on the Land Policy – from past to date, the organic land law, land registration programmes and the process of land acquisition in the country. RSSB highlighted several real estate projects as well as opportunities in the Central Business District (CBD) of Kigali. Other exhibitors included Kigali Genocide Memorial, AEGIS Trust and Sine Gerard’s Enterprise Urwibutso, manufacturers of the famous Agashya.and Akabanga brands. Ends