week review

Kagame meets Hong Kong business communityPresident Kagame this Tuesday was hosted to a luncheon by members of the business community in Hong Kong to discuss the multiple business opportunities Rwanda has to offer. Introducing President Kagame, Marc Holtzman who also sits on the board of directors of the Bank of Kigali referred to Rwanda as a miracle story and described President Kagame as “a man with a vision that transformed Rwanda.”President Kagame began his address by inviting all present to be part of Rwanda’s journey. “I invite you to be part of the revival of not only Rwanda but Africa. We want to look at change in the general context of the East African Community to which we belong and of Africa,” President Kagame said. President Kagame concluded by inviting the members of the business community to make the trip to Rwanda to witness the change that Rwandans have brought their nation. Karega presents his credentials in Botswana The Rwandan High Commissioner with residence in South Africa, Vincent Karega, early this week presented his credentials to Seretse Ian Khama, the President of Botswana. In his exchange with the President, Karega reiterated the importance that the Republic of Rwanda gives to her relations with the Republic of Botswana. Karega also briefed President Khama on the prevailing situation in the Great Lakes Region, specifically in the eastern part of DRC.He emphasised on the need to look at the root causes of the conflict in order to bring about sustainable peace. Following their meeting, Karega was received by the Rwandan community in Gaborone, who pledged to play a significant role in the on-going resource mobilization for Agaciro Development Fund.City targets Rwf400 million from outdoor advertising Kigali authorities are targeting to collect close to Rwf400m annually from fees charged on advertisement space in the city. Apart from the normal revenues from designated advertisement space for billboards, the city authorities have now turned to small and medium businesses’ sign posts and antennas that have been erected on city buildings. In an interview with The New Times, the City tax inspector, Jacques Masenga, clarified that the campaign will only target sign posts and antennas that have been ignored before.Masenga said that before antennas have been paying only rent for the space they occupy. However in the new changes, antennas will be paid for depending on length from the buildings’ foundation. The cost of sign posts varies depending on the size; a square metre costs Rwf10, 000 and Rwf5000 for the sign post below the square meter.Construction firms penalized for shoddy workThe Genocide Survivors Fund (FARG) recently dragged to court 26 companies that had been contracted to build houses for vulnerable survivors but instead did shoddy work while others abandoned the projects unfinished.The contractors currently battling cases in the High Court are supposed to refund close to Rwf 598.3 million which the government lost in the process.Theophile Ruberangeyo, the Executive Secretary of FARG said that while the process of recovering the money was slow, there were some positive signs.He revealed that four companies were wrongly sued and FARG has compensated them. Ruberangeyo explains that putting together all the records involving people who messed up FARG was tedious.Some companies are said to have used substandard equipment or built cheap houses compared to what was required.Rwamagana targets to produce 40 tonnes of fish Fish farming has gained momentum in Rwamanaga district, where at least 40 tonnes of fish harvest is expected annually. The district Mayor, Nehemie Uwimana, said that two sectors of Musha and Fubwe were used as case studies for fish farming in ponds.The mayor said they have also laid strategies to ensure that Mugesera and Muhazi lakes are used optimally for fish production. The farming is supported by Inland Lakes Integrated Development and Management Support Project (PAIGELAC).Mfashingabo Ntwali, who coordinates PAIGELAC activities in Eastern Province, confirmed the future increase of fish production.He noted that Rwanda was moving from traditional fish catching, to modern ways which will see the steady increase of fish production in the country.He said that average production per acre, was expected to increase up to 80 tons, depending on how modern farming methods are respected.Rwanda hits MDG Four target on child mortalityRwanda has kept pace in the reduction of the mortality rate for children in the past two decades, a new report said. The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) report, titled “Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed,” says child mortality rates in the country were slashed from 156 deaths per 1000 children to 54 deaths per 1000 children born annually, reflecting a two-thirds reduction.The fall implies the country is on course to achieving the Millennium Development Goal 4 – of reducing child mortality rates by two thirds by 2015. And considering what has already been done in the health sector this year, some officials are confident the country has already achieved the required 52 per cent decline in child mortality rate.The Minister of Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, congratulated Rwandans and health workers, in particular, for a job well done, but urged them to work even harder. Last year, Rwanda achieved the MDG on sanitation, surpassing it by eight percent.MDG target 7c calls for reduction by half (50 per cent), the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.Available figures indicate that by last year, about 58 percent of Rwandans had access to adequate sanitation.