Rwandan business delegation in Ghana for investment avenues

Mr Benjamin Gasamagera, Chairman, Rwanda Private Sector Federation has expressed the readiness of business people in Rwanda to invest in Ghana in efforts to boost trade relations between the two African countries.

He said businessmen in Rwanda were also ready to learn from their counterparts in Ghana and to explore business opportunities for investment. Mr Gasamagera said this in Accra on Friday when a 32-man delegation from the Rwanda Private Sector Federation paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

He noted that the development of Africa’s economy largely depended on Africans, hence, the need to improve on investment and trade relations among African countries. He commended Ghana for its conducive trade prowess and environment which had enticed them to visit, learn and to explore avenues for cooperation.

He said the Federation had a membership of 10,000 and had served as the mouthpiece of private businesses in Rwanda, advocating for favourable business environment. Mr Gasamagera said due to the Rwandan Government’s commitment towards creating good business environment, one could register his or her business within six hours in the East African country.

“Rwanda is also recognised as the most competitive and best place to do business in East Africa due to our Government’s commitment to the private sector”, he added. He expressed the readiness of the Federation to explore all business avenues and learn especially, the mining sector as Ghana was seen as a mining hub on the continent.

He intimated that a lot of measures had been put in place by successive Governments in Rwanda to ensure that the country was never plunged into civil war again as happened in the 1990s. This, he said, was to make the country attractive to potential investors and to ensure that the country continued to enjoy peace.

“We also have flights which visit Ghana about five times in a week thereby boosting transportation between the two countries,” he added. Dr Seth Adjei Baah, President, GCCI, said the visit by the Rwandan delegation would help establish mutual cooperation and partnership that would deepen trade and economic ties between the two countries.

“For now there is virtually little we can talk about in terms of trade between the two countries as in 2010 Ghana exported to Rwanda,” he said. He said Ghana exported only, 000 worth of goods to Rwanda in 2012 according to statistics available to the GCCI.

He lauded Rwanda for the operation of its national airline, RwandaAir and the subsequent decision of the airline to fly to Accra, as a strategic move that could ease trade and investment barriers between the two countries.

He cited agriculture, and agro-processing, construction of infrastructure, real estate development, tourism, telecommunication, ICT, oil and gas, mining and quarrying as some of the investment opportunities that they could explore in Ghana.

Dr Adjei Baah expressed hope that the meeting between the two organisations would help to strengthen partnership between the two countries and also bring about economic and social benefits by creating trade and employment to improve the standards of living of people in both countries.

Mr Denis Karera, Honorary Consul of Ghana in Rwanda, expressed the readiness of the Consulate to assist any Ghanaian who wanted to do business in Rwanda. To cement the trade relations between the two organisations, the leadership of GCCI and the Rwanda Private Sector Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to that effect.