More than 50 projects are expected to enable Rwanda to reach its goal of achieving a middle-income economy by 2035, and a developed economy by 2050. Projects worth more than US$ 6 billion were identified during a four-week workshop that ended yesterday June 10, led by the government, private sectors, banks and consulted by PEMANDU Associates, a global consultancy company, to generate impactful and fast results through collaborative program solving and detailing implementation plans. The ready-to-go projects identified in Rwanda Private Sector-Led Transformation Program (RPTP) Laboratory using Big Fast Results (BFR) methodology, focused on three areas of; Agriculture and Agro-processing, Manufacturing and Infrastructure and Energy, and the projects from these areas are expected to contribute Rwf 2.9 trillion to the country’s GDP. Private investors will play a big role in implementation of the projects, to enhance private sector-led economic transformation. According to Dennis Karera, the chairperson of Gold Capital Investments, the programme has provided new models to implement projects and shared knowledge between the investors and government in implementation of the projects, to escalate the country’s GDP. “We have learnt ways to evaluate our projects, at least every one year, set monitoring mechanisms, specify assessment period and to invest in projects that deliver quick impact and are measurable on the GDP, ”Karera said. He requested the programme to be extended at the district level, for the project investors to work with people who also understand the project and the same line, to avoid misunderstandings between authorities and implementers. Eric Murenzi, a businessman from Umuyenzi City Centre and stakeholder in one the projects in RPTP, said, RPTP will not only benefit business sectors and private sectors, but citizens of the country. “Investors will not only increase the GDP, they will also create more jobs and more opportunities in Rwanda, with the aim of being the ‘Singapore of Africa’ and becoming a high income country by 2050,” he said. Murenzi added that Rwanda is a safe country with its government willing to support investors in terms of security provision and especially a great climate calling for more foreign investors. “The methodologies used to consult here in Rwanda, are the same ones proved to work in other countries like Malaysia, among others we have worked with, 25 of them over the last ten years, ” Aida Azmi, the executive vice president of PEMANDU said. In her closing remarks, Clare Akamanzi, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, said investors and the government have to do things differently and new things, to achieve the goals of 2032 and 2050 faster and on time. “If we keep doing things the way we are doing today, vision 2050 will be achieved in 2077,” Akamanzi said. She concluded by encouraging investors to identify goals and achieve them on time, in order to enjoy the benefits of their hard work. RPTP, includes two types of intervention; identifying existing projects that are not implemented optimally, looking at how they make the most out of them to accelerate at 100%, and identifying new projects that do not exist in the country but are possible to be applicable. The one year project will also ensure these targeted private sector investments are able to realise its intended impact through effective facilitation and problem solving, complemented by relentless monitoring and delivery driven interventions at the highest level of government.
