RDF to set up duty-free shop

KIGALI - The Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) plans to establish an army store that will enable armed forces purchase items at subsidized prices, the Army Spokesperson has said. Major Jill Rutaremara, made the revelation on the sidelines of the seventh Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) framework between Rwanda and Kenya that ended yesterday. Rutaremera said that while the Kenyan military would learn from RDF’s fully established cooperative bank, (CSS-Zigama), and successful HIV Aids prevention strategies, the RDF would borrow a leaf from the military shops in Kenya. “They have been running duty free shops for their military servicemen and we intend to have one … we can go there and learn how theirs is working and look at the checks and balances,” he said. Ruteramera added that consultations on the military shop had been made and that the project will soon be tabled in the Cabinet. The shop, which will also cater for the Rwanda National Police (RNP), will initially deal in household items. “The project has a list of items and we want to start with a reasonable list, but it can always be amended. We can start with household items which consume the day-to-day incomes of soldiers,” he said, adding that the list of items will be subject to amendment. Ends