A total of 18 Slovakian business executives are on a trade mission in Rwanda to explore different investment opportunities and partnerships in the country. The delegation is involved in sectors of energy, agriculture, education, IT, and innovations, as well as health Rwanda Development Board and the European Business Chamber of Rwanda presented them with the framework of doing business in Rwanda and available opportunities, and later had a business-to-business session with about 70 Rwandan business operators. Diane Sayinzoga, the Head of SEZ and Export Facilitation Department in RDB, said that apart from potential investment sectors for the delegation, “Rwanda also has what to offer to them, especially, high-value crops such as coffee and tea. We have a potential market for those products in Slovakia.” She also said there will be a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries to cement cooperation in areas of agriculture and energy. Ndore Rurinda, Managing Director of Rokosan Rwanda, a ventured Slovakian company involved in the production of organic fertilisers, said that there are many opportunities in form of business incentives that Rwanda is offering and local business actors ought to leverage them. Katarina Zuffa Leligdonova, Ambassador of the Slovakia Republic to Kenya delivers remarks during the meeting in Kigali on May 16. All Photos by Dan Nsengiyumva As of now, he added, Rwanda has had trade missions in different African countries that are eye-opening for traders to expand their markets, which is the same case for Slovakians who came here, “it is up to us to take up those prospects.” The head of Slovakia delegates, Egon Zorad, Director of Foreign Trade Department at Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency, said they found common opportunities for their exporters and “Rwanda is an interesting partner” for them. He said that the move is aimed strengthening trade ties between the two countries and they expect some tangible partnerships and contracts at the end of the mission. Johanna Sandberg, Executive Secretary of the European Business Chamber of Rwanda (EBCR), encourages Rwandan business owners to benefit from the European business network. “The people that are coming in from Europe are really interested in doing investment and partnering with Rwandan companies…so it’s about being professional, having good communication, and building trust to make good use of these networks,” she said. The delegation is involved in sectors of energy, agriculture, education, IT, and innovations, as well as health Rwanda is increasingly positioning itself as a regional hub for manufacturing, logistics, innovations, and financial services and the country continues to attract investors through different business incentives and the ease of registering and doing business in Rwanda. One can register a company with Rwanda Development Board within six hours, online and free of charge and also use Rwanda as a gateway into the regional market by enabling private sector growth and promoting local and foreign direct investments.
