The Development Bank of Southern Africa will today host a one-day summit together with the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) to explore opportunities for partnership and investment in Rwanda’s growing infrastructure. The one-day summit at Radisson Blu Hotel Kigali Convention Center will host numerous conversations involving the DBSA, BRD, government and the private sector on investing, shaping and delivering development infrastructure in Rwanda. The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is a leading development finance institution working across the African continent. It aims to establish relationships with Rwanda in order to be able to fund key infrastructure projects in Transport, Energy, and ICT. With a clear mandate and strategy, the financial institution plays a catalytic role in delivering developmental infrastructure through strategic partnerships and by crowding in third party investors to offer integrated infrastructure solutions across the infrastructure value chain including planning, project preparation, financing, project implementation, and maintenance. The continent has vast potential and unlocking it adds greatly to the economy. With that in mind, one of the key discussions at the summit will be on how to overcome obstacles in infrastructure development and finding financing solutions. Rwanda is well known for its commitment to finding innovative ways to encourage Private sector investment in the country. 25 years ago, the country was 100 percent reliant on aid, but today Rwanda stands 86 percent self-reliant, which means that the dependence on aid stands at about 14 percent of the budget. The country’s private sector creates thousands of jobs annually many of which are targeted toward the vibrant youth. Delegates present at the summit will get to hear presentations from various key players in the private sector on potential projects they intend on implementing. The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) has been a strategic partner for the country’s development by availing financing and advisory services to impactful entrepreneurs in key priorities. With this objective in mind, the bank provides short, medium and long term funding for businesses, which significantly facilitates the emergence of a strong private sector and contributes to poverty reduction in Rwanda. DBSA established in 1983 has a strong record of supporting regional development and integration, aimed at facilitating trade in Africa by investing in infrastructure projects sub-Sahara Africa.
