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Rwanda | Economy and Infrastructure News

63K views 208 replies 45 participants last post by  Nyumba 
#1 ·
Societe Tunisienne del L’Electricite et du Gaz, or STEG, signed a $68.6 million contract to connect 50,000 households to Rwanda’s electricity grid.

STEG will build the electricity network over two year, while Rwanda pays in installments over five years, Yves Muyange, managing director of Rwanda’s electricity and water utility, said by phone from the capital, Kigali, today.

The project is part of a $380 million program to increase the number of households with electricity to 350,000 from 110,000 as of June. The program is being financed by the government and its development partners, Muyange said.

“The project is part of government efforts to connect 50 percent of the population by 2017,” Muyange told reporters after signing the project agreement on Nov. 23.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-...6-million-electricity-contract-in-rwanda.html
 
#35 ·
Rwanda records a 130 pc growth in exports



A tea farm in Rwanda. Tea prices hit a record high in the country.


Posted Monday, May 16 2011 at 00:00

Rwanda’s export earnings increased by 130 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year as commodity prices recovered and efforts to diversify exports began to bear fruit.

Since last year, prices of traditional exports such as coffee, tea and minerals — which contribute more than 70 per cent of total export earnings — have been on an upward trend.

Tea prices hit a record high of $2.9 per kg while coffee prices were from $6.7- $9.1 per kg on average.

Statistics from the Rwanda Development Board indicate that in the first quarter of this year, total exports fetched $691.4 million compared with $30.4 million earned during the same period last year. (ray: i think it's 69.14 and not 691.4)

Total export earnings are projected to hit $376 million this year from $298.3 million in 2010.

“The increase is attributed to diversified export products in value and quantity as well as increased promotional activities such as support to companies to attend international trade fairs and promoting potential buyers,” said John Gara, chief executive officer of RDB.

Mr Gara said that the improved performance of exports would help reduce the trade deficit, currently estimated at 14.2 per cent of GDP.

In the first quarter of this year, imports increased by 24 per cent compared with the same period last year, from $259.7 million to $328.8 million.
In 2010, while exports grew by 27 per cent, the import bill increased by 14.7 per cent.

However, Rwanda is a net importer from the EAC with imports from the region representing a third of the overall imports.

The only country with which Rwanda has a largely positive trade balance is Burundi, although this represents less than one per cent of Rwanda’s trade.

Central Bank statistics indicate that total trade volumes between 2006 and 2010 more than doubled, from $278 million to $600 million, mainly driven by imports which comprise machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement, construction materials, motor vehicles, textiles and foodstuffs.

Rwanda’s external current account deficit including grants worsened from $378 million in 2009, to $407 million in 2010 mainly due to trade imbalance and service deficits, statistics from the National Bank of Rwanda indicate.

The import bill is projected to hit $1,1400 million in 2011 and further to $1579 million by 2015 due to implementation of ongoing strategic investment projects and the associated requirement of capital goods for these projects.

The government’s strategic investments that will require heavy importation of capital goods include the ongoing construction of the world-class Kigali Convention Centre, which will include a five-star hotel, and construction of a world class airport at Bugesera, expected to commence next year.

However, Mr Gara noted that the trade deficit will be addressed by the recently approved National Export Strategy which provides a five-year framework for boosting exports.
In particular, under the strategy, the short and medium term targeted sectors are increasing production and value addition of traditional export sectors of tourism, tea, coffee and mining.

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/new...-/2558/1162744/-/item/1/-/tcxc3o/-/index.html

^^
Sad that Rwanda is a landlocked country. This is actually the real brake on Rwanda's development. Can't wait for the railway to get finished. After that, the real development of Rwanda will start.
 
#36 ·
If Rwanda had sea access it would be growing much faster- it would be another Singapore for sure. Kagame has a poor human rights records but what he's doing here is amazing on the economic side. If resource-rich nations like Angola had this type of leader they would be doing so good. Its frustrating that he is the leader of a small country whose impact on Africa will be minimal.

This decade will be reconstructing and infrastructure building, even by SSA stabndards Rwanda is still poor. By the end of the decade it will have caught up with its neighbours and then it will zoom away. I still think we are seeing the beginnings of something truly amazing and this could be the 1st develped country in SSA come 50 years
 
#38 ·
Turkish investors eye Rwanda:)

A group of visiting investors from Turkey are seeking to invest in various sectors including tourism, energy, real estate and health.

Rwanda’s Honorary Consul to Turkey, Inanç Çiftçi, who led the delegation of 15 prospective investors, yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Paul Kagame at Urugwiro Village.

Addressing reporters after holding talks with the Head of State, Çiftçi said that Rwanda’s investment climate and the ease to do business are the main factors that attracted the Turkish investors.
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14660&article=42341
 
#40 ·
Hi All Members,

I work for a seafood distribution company in India having a turnover of $600 million and we deal in trade and distribution of seafood and poultry across the globe with major presence in Africa including Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast etc.

We are looking for an investment in Rwanda looking at its robust growth in the last decade. We would like to find out possibilities of our business in Rwanda and not limit our scope to Seafood and Poultry only. Rice and Soya could be another proposition.

What I need is some information about the Importers of seafood/poultry(meat, beef) in Rwanda?
Also, what is the potential of soya and rice in Rwanda?

Some list people dealing in these commodities would help me a lot.

Thanks in Advance,
Tejuswi Prakash,
Mumbai, India
 
#41 ·
^^
Hello too
I don't think it's the right place for you to ask those kind of questions. And i don't think anyone of us can give you useful informations.
This is a forum for amateur and some professionals on issues related primarily to infrasctures developements of a country. That is urban planning, architecture, tourism, transports, etc.
But if you seek more specialized information, then contact these people, they can help you better than us.


http://www.rdb.rw/

Hope i helped you.
 
#43 ·
^^
No way, you must be kiding...
So fast
 
#44 ·
Rwanda ‘preferred destination’ for UK tourists

British travellers are increasingly choosing to come to Rwanda because it offers exciting holiday bargains compared to most African and European countries, according to new data released by the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor.

Despite the increasing number of British tourists, United States maintains the biggest number of tourist heading to Rwanda, closely followed by the UK, India and Belgium, according to the figures from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14720&article=44249
 
#47 ·
Bharti wins 2G & 3G license in Rwanda
Submitted by Trisha Thomas on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 20:35

A year into its African Safari, India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel has won a license to operate 2G and 3G services in Rwanda.

Together with the 16 countries inherited from Zain, Airtel will not be present in 17 countries in Africa. Rwanda, located in in central and eastern Africa, has a population of approximately 11.4 million (less than 1% of India's population.)

http://rtn.asia/1001_bharti-wins-2g-3g-license-rwanda
 
#48 ·
Dossier Rwanda- JeuneAfrique

Rwanda : pragmatique, mais pas trop...


Les réformes engagées au début des années 2000 ont amélioré la productivité et le climat des affaires. L’économie rwandaise est en excellente santé. Sa dépendance à l’égard de l’aide et des investissements étrangers reste cependant son talon d’Achille.

Depuis l’engagement de sa stratégie Vision 2020, en 2001, l’économie rwandaise continue de progresser. Outre l’accroissement de la productivité, ce succès est dû aux investissements publics soutenus dans les transports aériens, et désormais routiers, dans le développement des technologies de l’information et de la communication – notamment appliquées à l’administration en ligne – et dans l’amélioration des capacités de production d’électricité.

Après une insolente croissance en 2008 (plus de 11 %), et passé les turbulences liées à la crise financière et économique mondiale qui l’ont fait retomber à 4,1 % en 2009, l’économie rwandaise s’est rapidement redressée, progressant de 7,4 % en 2010. Et les perspectives à court et moyen termes (6,5 % pour 2011, 7 % pour 2012) s’annoncent solides, portées par l’augmentation des investissements dans les secteurs clés.

Ce rapide rebond s’appuie sur le développement continu du secteur agricole, la reprise soutenue des secteurs de l’industrie et de la construction, l’expansion des activités de services, notamment dans la finance et les télécommunications, ainsi que sur l’accroissement des exportations.

Services en tête

Banque et assurances, nouvelles technologies, commerce… Ce sont désormais les services qui contribuent le plus fortement au PIB du pays (47 %). Ils ont enregistré une croissance de 10 % en 2010, notamment grâce à la relance du secteur de la finance et des assurances (dont les activités affichent une hausse de 24 %, après un recul de 4 % en 2009), du transport et de la logistique (en hausse de 9 %), du commerce de gros et de détail (8 %).
La part de l’agriculture dans le PIB du pays reste centrale (32 %). Elle a enregistré un taux de croissance de 5 % en 2010 (5 % dans la production vivrière et 14 % dans les cultures d’exportation, qui avaient accusé un déclin de 15 % en 2009). Toutefois, le secteur peine encore à trouver les capitaux d’investissement et manque de produits diversifiés pour l’exportation.
Enfin, les activités industrielles ont augmenté de 8 % en 2010, portées surtout par la hausse des activités dans le secteur de l’électricité et de l’eau (15 %, contre 14 % en 2009), de l’industrie agroalimentaire (9 %) et de la construction (9 %, contre 1 % en 2009). En revanche, les exportations minières continuent de chuter (– 11 % en 2010 et – 18 % en 2009).
Dans le même temps, l’inflation a poursuivi sa chute, avec une moyenne annuelle établie à 2,3 % en 2010, contre 10,3 % en 2009, quand les prix alimentaires avaient augmenté de plus de 20 % dans le sillage de la crise alimentaire mondiale. Elle devrait légèrement repartir à la hausse en 2011 (aux alentours de 3 % selon les estimations), compte tenu de l’augmentation des cours mondiaux du pétrole.

Initiative privée.Lancée en 2001, la stratégie du Rwanda a connu un coup d’accélérateur en 2007 grâce à l’aboutissement de ses réformes structurelles. Le pays se place en 58e position sur 183 pays classés (il occupait le 70e rang en 2010) dans le classement « Doing Business » 2011 de la Banque mondiale. Premier pays réformateur en matière de climat des affaires en 2010, il prend cette année la deuxième place dans ce domaine.

Parmi les principales réformes touchant les entreprises : la réduction du délai requis pour créer une société à vingt-*quatre heures (c’est le plus court au monde), pour un coût équivalent à 8,9 % du revenu par habitant (contre 223 % en 2005), et celle du délai pour obtenir un permis de construire à trente jours (contre deux cent trente en 2005).

Résultats : dans les différentes filières, de nombreuses entreprises privées se sont développées et ont été créées. Quant aux flux d’investissements directs étrangers (IDE), ils ont été plus que décuplés entre 2004 et 2009, passant de 10,9 millions à 118,7 millions de dollars (de 8 à 83 millions d’euros d’alors).

Fragilités

En pleine croissance, l’économie rwandaise est cependant fragile, en raison de sa forte dépendance à l’extérieur : la majorité des investisseurs est d’origine étrangère et l’aide internationale représente encore un cinquième des revenus du pays. Pour 2011-2012, cette dernière devrait s’élever à 455,5 milliards de francs rwandais (plus de 517 millions d’euros, en hausse de 22,3 % par rapport à l’exercice précédent). Et, tant qu’il n’est pas parvenu à diversifier son offre à l’exportation, le Rwanda reste dépendant de la demande mondiale : le thé et le café assurent la moitié de ses recettes à l’export.
Le pays peut cependant s’enorgueillir d’avoir l’un des plus faibles niveaux d’endettement en Afrique subsaharienne, notamment grâce à l’allègement d’une grande partie de sa dette en 2005 (de près de 1,5 milliard de dollars), suivi d’une gestion rigoureuse. Selon le rapport « Perspectives économiques en Afrique », publié par la Banque africaine de développement (BAD) et l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE), la dette extérieure du pays représentait moins de 5 % du PIB en 2010, contre une moyenne de 23 % en Afrique subsaharienne et de 26 % dans les pays de la Communauté de l’Afrique de l’Est.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article...issementrwanda-pragmatique-mais-pas-trop.html

Rwanda : émergence d'une classe moyenne urbaine

Restauration, distribution, high-tech, loisirs… Une nouvelle classe moyenne urbaine émerge au Rwanda. Et elle ne lésine pas sur les moyens pour se faire plaisir. Stimulant l’économie mais creusant les inégalités sociales.
Patrick Knipping est un directeur heureux. Ce Belge à la chevelure grisonnante, installé au Rwanda, ancien responsable du célèbre Hôtel des Mille Collines, gère désormais le Lemigo Hotel. Depuis son ouverture, en octobre 2010, il fait le plein. Les touristes américains, hommes d’affaires ougandais ou kényans, mais aussi rwandais, se pressent dans ses restaurants, dirigés par un chef français. « La nourriture et les boissons nous rapportent presque autant que les chambres, note Patrick Knipping. Beaucoup de clients consomment en marge des conférences, mais il y en a aussi qui viennent juste pour un repas et pour découvrir l’hôtel. Les Rwandais aiment beaucoup la nouveauté ! »

Après une décennie de croissance écono*mique soutenue, Kigali compte de plus en plus de consommateurs capables de s’offrir des repas à 10 000 francs rwandais (près de 12 euros) par personne. Les grands groupes hôteliers internationaux estiment que la tendance va s’accentuer. Radisson Blu, Marriott ou encore Hilton prévoient ainsi d’ouvrir des établissements dans la capitale rwandaise dans les prochaines années.

Sur le mont Rebero, colline surplombant Kigali, un quartier de loisirs est en projet. Il doit accueillir un parc d’attractions, des bars, restaurants et cinémas capables d’aimanter cette classe aisée naissante.

Centres commerciaux

On la croise déjà dans les allées de l’Union Trade Center (UTC) de Kigali, scotchée à son smartphone connecté à internet. Dans ce centre commercial de 6 étages, on trouve 70 boutiques (tous les emplacements ont trouvé preneur) et un supermarché de la chaîne kényane Nakumatt, ouvert vingt-quatre heures sur vingt-quatre. « L’exploitation n’est pas encore rentable la nuit, concède Paul Mutunga, le directeur adjoint du magasin. Mais nous sommes en train d’y habituer les Rwandais. » Pour cette enseigne, qui pratique pourtant des prix élevés (la plupart des produits sont importés), le succès est au rendez-vous : elle prévoit déjà d’ouvrir un deuxième supermarché avec le même concept dans la future Kigali City Tower, qui se construit à deux pas.

Assurances

« Il y a les entrepreneurs, les fonctionnaires de l’État, les employés des grandes entreprises… On voit vraiment une classe moyenne se dessiner », remarque Charles Mporanyi. Le président du groupe d’assurances Soras est bien placé pour observer la tendance. Flairant l’émergence de cette demande solvable, il a lancé les premiers contrats d’assurance maladie privée en 2006. « C’est ce type de produit qui connaît la croissance la plus forte. Il est déjà en deuxième position derrière les assurances automobiles ! » s’étonne-t-il.
Ce succès est d’autant plus significatif que le pays dispose en parallèle d’assurances maladie publiques très bon marché : les mutuelles de santé. Avec des cotisations de 1 000 francs rwandais par personne et par an, elles couvraient 90 % de la population fin 2010, selon les chiffres du gouvernement. L’immense majorité des Rwandais a donc maintenant accès aux hôpitaux, qui seront à terme installés dans chacun des trente districts du pays. Mais le système est entré dans une nouvelle phase : les cotisations doivent augmenter pour atteindre 3 000 à 7 000 francs rwandais, en fonction des revenus, tandis que la gratuité est instaurée pour les ménages les plus modestes. Ces derniers bénéficient aussi sans frais de l’école primaire obligatoire.

Pauvreté persistante

Pour l’instant, cette ébauche de protection sociale n’est pas parvenue à effacer le point noir du modèle de développement rwandais : la pauvreté, qui reste le lot commun de ses habitants, en particulier dans les campagnes. « Selon les dernières données que nous avons, 56,9 % de la population vivait encore en dessous du seuil de pauvreté en 2006 », indique Nicolas Schmids, économiste au Programme des Nations unies pour le développement (Pnud) à Kigali.

Dans ce domaine, le Rwanda a redressé la barre par rapport aux statistiques catastrophiques de l’après-génocide (elles étaient alors les pires au monde). Mais il n’a pas encore retrouvé le niveau qui était le sien à la fin des années 1980. « Avec les efforts du gouvernement, on s’attend à une amélioration lors de la prochaine enquête, anticipe Nicolas Schmids. Mais on sait déjà que les Objectifs du millénaire pour le développement ne seront pas atteints sur ce point en 2015. »

Entre une classe aisée qui émerge et entre de plain-pied dans la société de consommation, et la majorité de la population qui en reste en marge, le fossé n’est pas encore près de se refermer.

http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article...a-emergence-d-une-classe-moyenne-urbaine.html
 
#49 ·
Rwanda : big bang à Kigali dans l'urbanisme


Afin de faire face au doublement de la population de la capitale rwandaise d’ici à 2020 et de la rendre plus attractive pour les investisseurs, l’État et la municipalité ont adopté un plan directeur ambitieux. Et ne reculent devant rien pour le mettre en œuvre.

Au premier abord, Kigali ressemble à une belle endormie. Une jolie ville posée sur les collines du Rwanda, sage et modeste, avec ses boulevards plantés de palmiers et ses pelouses tondues de frais. Mais les apparences sont trompeuses. La capitale rwandaise se prépare en réalité à un bouleversement. Sous l’effet de sa croissance économique, de l’exode rural et d’une démographie vigoureuse, elle devrait atteindre les 2 millions d’habitants avant la fin de la décennie, soit deux fois plus qu’aujourd’hui.

Çà et là, de grands chantiers rendent déjà ce changement visible. Comme celui du Kigali Convention Center, un complexe d’un coût de 200 millions d’euros qui devrait regrouper dès 2012 une salle de conférences de 2 600 places, un centre commercial, un hôtel de près de 300 chambres (opéré par The Rezidor Hotel Group, basé à Bruxelles), un musée et des bureaux. Dans le quartier des affaires, la Kigali City Tower, en construction, semble encore bien isolée. Plus pour longtemps. « D’ici à quatre ans, une vingtaine d’immeubles de 15 à 30 étages seront construits dans le central business district », explique le maire, Fidèle Ndayisaba, qui a pris ses fonctions en mars. « Et je ne parle que des projets déjà approuvés… »

"Rationnaliser l'espace"

S’il peut être aussi sûr de la hauteur des futurs bâtiments, c’est que les promoteurs n’ont pas le choix : la ville a adopté en 2008 un plan directeur qui doit organiser son développement jusqu’à l’horizon 2050. Celui-ci découpe Kigali en zones, au sein desquelles l’ensemble des immeubles devra répondre à certains critères. Dans le futur quartier hôtelier, tout proche du centre d’affaires, la hauteur minimale a ainsi été fixée à 8 étages. Le but ? « Rationaliser l’espace en densifiant la ville », répond le maire. Du coup, la modélisation 3D du futur visage de Kigali donne le tournis : immeubles élancés, espaces verts bordés par des cours d’eau, quartiers commerçants survolés par des passerelles piétonnes…

Les petites échoppes qui prospèrent autour du rond-point du centre-ville devront donc laisser place à des constructions plus ambitieuses. Leurs propriétaires actuels, s’ils ne veulent pas s’impliquer dans un nouveau projet, seront expropriés moyennant dédommagement. « La plupart des commerçants sont enthousiastes, affirme Fidèle Ndayisaba. Ils se mettent en commun pour atteindre la surface minimum requise, et nous les accompagnons. »

Mais il arrive que cela se passe moins bien, comme dans certains quartiers résidentiels. Invités à s’exprimer sur ce thème lors d’un forum de l’Institut de recherche et de dialogue pour la paix, en mars, des habitants de Kigali ont ainsi estimé que « les intérêts des expropriés ne sont pas pris en compte, surtout en ce qui concerne leur relogement » – les locataires ne se voient pas proposer de solution –, ou encore que la valeur donnée aux terrains ne correspond pas au prix du marché. « Ce n’est pas toujours facile, concède Fidèle Ndayisaba. Il faut les préparer psychologiquement, les convaincre. Mais c’est pour le bien commun : cela crée une activité économique dont ils sont aussi bénéficiaires. »

Lac artificiel

C’est aussi pour favoriser la croissance que la municipalité, qui prévoit de recevoir de plus en plus d’étrangers, veut créer un quartier des loisirs sur le mont Rebero, qui surplombe la ville. Le 12 août, elle a conclu un accord avec des investisseurs pour la cession de trois parcelles. Celles-ci accueilleront la Kigali Tower (un projet de 8,7 millions d’euros mené par Kigali Real Estate), l’Appartement Hôtel (10,3 millions d’euros, Génimmo) et le Chic Shopping Complex (28,4 millions d’euros, Chic Champion Investment Corporation).
Je n'hésiterai pas à aller sous une tente pour permettre de lancer les travaux au plus vite.

Plus ambitieux encore : la création d’un lac artificiel est à l’étude pour accueillir des activités nautiques. Mais l’Office rwandais de gestion de l’environnement est déjà vent debout contre le projet. « Ce serait de l’eau stagnante, s’inquiète sa directrice, Rose Mukankomeje. Or les déchets sortent de partout et cette ville n’a pas de système de traitement des eaux usées ! Les concepteurs ont voulu nous mettre devant le fait accompli sans faire les études d’impact obligatoires. Nous nous y sommes donc opposés. »

Pas de quoi entamer la détermination de la mairie. Pour montrer l’exemple, elle a fait raser son ancien hôtel de ville pour construire un nouveau city hall. Réfugié au dernier étage d’un vieux bâtiment administratif adjacent, Fidèle Ndayisaba prévient : « Si le terrain sur lequel nous sommes installés intéresse quelqu’un, je n’hésiterai pas à aller sous une tente pour permettre de lancer les travaux au plus vite. »


Kigali : des mètres carrés très prisés

Le marché de l’immobilier – résidentiel et commercial – a le vent en poupe. Et les prix montent.

Le nouveau maire de Kigali n’a qu’une obsession : construire pour faire face à une demande qui paraît insatiable. « En ce qui concerne les bureaux, les immeubles construits dans le centre-ville sont occupés à 100 %, indique Fidèle Ndayisaba. Et ceux qui sont en cours de construction sont déjà entièrement vendus. » À tel point que, selon les professionnels du secteur, les surfaces commerciales les mieux placées peuvent se louer jusqu’à 25 dollars (17,30 euros) par mois le mètre carré. « Les prix restent globalement raisonnables, estime toutefois le maire. L’inflation n’est pas beaucoup plus forte dans l’immobilier qu’ailleurs. » Elle est en tout cas suffisante pour attirer les investissements dans le secteur : selon le Rwanda Development Board, ceux-ci sont passés de 80 millions à 335 millions d’euros entre 2003 et 2009.

Des maisons par centaines

Avec le retour de la diaspora et l’apparition d’une classe aisée, la demande en logements augmente aussi. Le plan directeur de Kigali prévoit la construction prochaine d’appartements de grand standing dans la zone hôtelière et incite à construire en hauteur dans certains quartiers. La Générale de l’immobilier (Génimmo) vient ainsi d’acquérir une parcelle auprès de la ville de Kigali pour construire l’Appartement Hôtel, d’un coût estimé à 10,3 millions d’euros. Mais ce n’est pas le créneau que la société souhaite privilégier. « La plupart des Rwandais préfèrent les petites maisons individuelles, confie un de ses responsables. En appartement, on est obligé de cuire à l’électrique : les gens n’en ont pas l’habitude et c’est extrêmement coûteux. » Du coup, la société prévoit de se lancer dans la construction de lotissements de 100 à 200 maisons individuelles, ce qui devrait lui permettre de les vendre à des prix très compétitifs. « Nos études de marché nous montrent que la demande est là pour ce genre de biens », poursuit le promoteur. Sa seule crainte n’est pas que les maisons ne se vendent pas, mais que ses concurrents commencent à profiter du boom avant lui.P.B.


http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article...wanda-big-bang-a-kigali-dans-l-urbanisme.html
 
#52 · (Edited)
September 16, 2011 9:41 AM

Carnegie Mellon to open branch campus in Rwanda

(AP) PITTSBURGH — Carnegie Mellon University plans to open a branch campus in Rwanda next year, making it the first American university to do so in central Africa.

The students who attend the program in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, will get exactly the same diploma as those who attend Carnegie Mellon's Pittsburgh campus, officials told The Associated Press. Credits from the two programs will even be fully transferable.

Rwanda's President, Paul Kagame, will give a speech later Friday in Pittsburgh, announcing details of the program. The first degree offered will be a Master of Science in Information Technology.

"Higher education is a key to success in the global economy," said Carnegie Mellon President Jared Cohon.

Rwanda's Minister of Education, Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, said the school fits well with the country's vision of becoming an economy based on information and communications technology.

Branch campuses are common in the oil-rich Persian Gulf, Europe, and China, as are student exchange programs. But actually opening a higher education facility in central Africa is an entirely different thing, said Bruce Jones, a professor at New York University and author of Peacekeeping in Rwanda, an analysis of the events that led to the country's 1994 genocide.

"That strikes me as a very significant thing. The odds are very high that that's for the good," Jones said of CMU's plans.

The program will target students from east Africa, and will give preference to Rwandan citizens, the university said. However, students from around the world can apply.

During the genocide, extremist Hutus killed more than 500,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda.

Almost a generation later, Rwanda has won international praise for a growing economy, promoting women's rights and cracking down on corruption. But activists say the economic gains have not been matched by growing freedoms.

Jones agreed there are some problems, in particular surrounding human rights issues, but said the positives in the country still far outweigh the negatives.

"And you're 15 years after one of the most intensive genocides in human history. The idea we would be past human rights issues in Rwanda is absurd," he said. "There has to be some historical perspective here."

Erwin van der Borght, Africa Program Director for Amnesty International, said the group does have some important concerns about human rights issues in Rwanda.

"Amnesty has an ongoing dialogue with the government. At the same time it's a very difficult environment for human rights groups, to operate in a situation where people were scared to speak out," van der Borght said.

In a report on the situation, Amnesty said that vague laws against hate speech which were introduced after the 1994 genocide are now "misused to criminalize criticism of the government and legitimate dissent by opposition politicians, human rights activists and journalists."

Amnesty also noted the 2010 murder of Rwandan journalist Jean-Leonard Rugambage, who had published an article alleging that Rwandan intelligence officials were linked to the attempted killing of a former head of the Army.

"The investigation is not to our satisfaction," van der Borght told AP.

Van der Borght did note that Amnesty has seen reports of progress in other sectors of the country, such as education.

There's no dispute about the Rwandan government's commitment to boosting access to modern technology.

According to the United Nations, mobile phone users grew from just 130,000 in 2003 to 2.4 million in 2010 (out of an 11.4 million population), and the country aims to become a regional high-tech hub. Rwanda has completed a fiber-optic cable project to provide fast Internet access, and the country's gross domestic product grew at about a 7.5 percent rate between 2004 and 2010 — an exceptional rate.

Pradeep Khosla, the head of Carnegie Mellon's school of engineering, said that he's been amazed on visits to the country by what Kagame's government has accomplished.

"I think it's an opportunity that's clearly waiting to happen," he said of the Rwanda plan.

And Carnegie Mellon isn't alone in seeing potential in Rwanda: the African Development Bank is expected to fund construction of the new campus, the school said. The program aims for about 40 students next year, and up to 150 a few years later.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/16/ap/business/main20107281.shtml
These institutions should be careful not be to much associated to the current regime !!!
Hope more universities will open branches (Rwandan's or foreign's) but with less technology institutes and more business, health, education and industrial engineering scholarships.
Anyway, kudos for the news and it certainly deserves a dancing banana. :banana:
 
#53 ·
@ blizz krk



 
#54 ·
Rwanda looks to tourism for growth


Tourists walk along the 150-metre-high canopy walkway in Nyungwe National Park. Picture: Berna Namata

Rwanda’s tourism sector is expected to rebound in 2012 on the back of increased tourist numbers and aggressive marketing, although a doubtful recovery by economies in Europe remains a risk.

During the first six months of 2011, the country hosted 405,801 visitors, a 28 per cent increase, generating an estimate of revenues worth $115.6 million compared with almost $90.6 million generated in the same period last year.

Last year’s tourism revenue grew by 14 per cent to hit $200 million, showing a steady recovery from 2009 when the global financial crisis dented visitor receipts across the region.

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said things were looking up for the sector with the recent launch of several directs flights to Kigali from European capitals.

RDB said the number of international visitors increased by 16 per cent while regional visitors (DRC, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya) increased by 28 per cent.

“Among the things that have helped the sector to rise is the airline industry — towards the end of last year, we had KLM launch direct flights to Kigali from Amsterdam and this solved the major challenge of international visitors accessing Rwanda,” Rica Rwigamba, RDB’s head of tourism and conservation, told The East African.
With existing airlines also increasing their frequencies, Ms Rwigamba noted that there was an increase of 14 per cent in passenger traffic during the first quarter of this year compared with last year.

“Africa is one of the continents that have seen tourism grow, so we really need to position ourselves to take advantage of that.” Ms Rwigamba said.

Foreigners are increasingly eyeing investment opportunities in Rwanda’s tourism sector as well as the country’s nascent equities and debt markets.
Annie Batamuliza, director of New Dawn Associates, a tour and event management company said while the tourism business has generally improved in the country with community based tourism picking up, the current global economic environment is posing challenges for the sector.

In 2009, they had an overall five groups of three-to 10 and in the 2010, they recorded an overall five groups of 6-15 people.
“The Financial crisis is still a major hindrance, but we are happy to see some drastic improvements compared with the previous year,” Ms Batamuliza.

However, she stressed the need for increased public awareness about the country’s various tourism products.

“The main challenge here is that Rwandans have no interest in travelling. To me, community based tourism should begin at home.”
According to Booker Anderson Ssentengo, a lecturer in world travel and tourism marketing at Rwanda Tourism University College, the country is yet to fully exploit its huge tourism potential.

He said the government has to invest more in diversifying its products to attract more tourists.

“There is potential in cultural tourism, adventure tourism projects in mountains, water-based tourism and urban tourism which have not been exploited.

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/bus...urism+for+growth+/-/2560/1246566/-/mlvjhuz/-/
 
#56 ·
^^

Last year, i don't know but in 2007 there was 826 374 visitors, in 2008 the number hitted the million visitors then dropped to 700 000 in 2009 due to the economic crisis.
So i think the number must be around 750 000 to 800 000 visitors last year.
 
#57 ·
Off topic

Chinese in Rwanda


Kigali Convention Center built by the Chinese (Photo: Mary Kay Magistad)

A funny thing happens to some Chinese when they come to Rwanda. They relax. Perhaps it’s the balmy weather, or the vistas of rolling hills and lush valleys. Perhaps it’s the pace of life.

“It’s nice living here,” says Edward Yin, 39, who moved to Kigali four years ago to set up a mobile phone factory. “People are friendly, and generally honest. In China, people can be pretty tricky. To get from one point to another, they may go in circles. Here, it’s just a straight line.”

Perhaps a bit too straight, for the tastes of some Chinese companies. Rwanda has a strict anti-corruption policy. I ask Yin if he thinks this is good for business. He grins mischievously.

“Sometimes, a little corruption might not be bad for business,” he says. “It helps get things done.”

His friend, Li Jianbo. disagrees.

“I like being in a place that’s tough on corruption,” he says. “My costs are predictable. That’s what’s good for business.”

Li is general manager in Kigali of China Road and Bridge Corporation – the biggest Chinese state-owned enterprise doing infrastructure construction in Africa. In China, if I as a journalist were to ask for an interview for someone of this stature, I’d be asked to send a fax with detailed questions, and proof of my journalist credentials, would be made to wait weeks, and would – far more often than not – ultimately be told ‘no.’

Here, Li came to my guesthouse – his office was a ten-minute walk away – and sat on the veranda for almost two hours, chain-smoking and talking about life in Rwanda.

Li, who’s 49, first came to Rwanda in 1989 to help build road. He left three years later, and then followed news of the 1994 genocide from afar, fearing – and later learning – that he’d lost many friends.

“I came back a few years later,” he said. “I cared about this country. I wanted to see what had happened to it.” He’s now helping expand Rwanda’s road and infrastructure network.


Not all Chinese companies embrace anti-corruption measures quite so enthusiastically as Li, which may be one reason why the Chinese community is small here – a thousand or two — compared to in other African countries.
One Rwandan official told me, rather gleefully, that when a Chinese company won a bid to build a new convention center in Kigali, the government put a German manager on the project – to ensure quality control, and to curb any urges on the Chinese company’s side to pocket some of the budget. “They weren’t happy,” he said, with a sly smile. “But then, we weren’t doing the project for them.”

Anti-corruption efforts or no, Yin likes Rwanda. He likes the weather, the clean air, the friendly and relaxed vibe. He likes it enough to have brought his wife, his two kids and his mother here last year, to live. He says it was a deliberate choice, for his kids’ future.

“In Chinese schools now, kids have to work so hard,” he says. “They have no time to play. They don’t learn to think creatively. My kids, going to school here, will learn that life can be different.”

Li appreciates Rwanda’s laid-back atmosphere , too, but has taken the opposite decision related to his own son. He’s back in China with his mother. “If he comes here, he’ll never be able to compete in China. He’ll lose that edge.”


Chinese happy hour in Kigali. (Photo: Mary Kay Magistad)

One thing Li and Yin agree on is how much they enjoy their biweekly Friday evening happy hours. A dozen or so Chinese managers get together at Yin’s Chinese restaurant, and sit around a huge round table in a room with deep red walls. They invited me along to one.

The evening grew boisterous as the beer and baijiu – a grain alcohol beloved at Chinese banquets – were tossed back. Jokes and jibes mixed with business talk, in accents from across China. It was a taste of home, a welcome reconnection. But unlike some gatherings of expats – Chinese and otherwise – there was a noticeable lack of griping about their adopted home. To a person, those I talked to said how much they like Rwanda. If these Friday evening happy hours are a kind of brief holiday for Chinese in Kigali from their expat life here, it seems their expat life here is its own extended holiday from the stresses of life in relentlessly ambitious China.

http://www.theworld.org/2011/10/chinese-in-rwanda/


^^
:) That's nice.
 
#60 ·
Rwanda to overhaul public transport system



Roads under construction in Rwanda. Photo/FILE

By BERNA NAMATA
Posted Sunday, November 6 2011 at 10:46

Rwanda is set to overhaul the public transport system in Kigali city to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

From next year, the authorities will place restrictions on street parking around the city centre and introduce standard large bus services and an integrated public transport ticketing system.

Implementation of the 5-year progressive plan, which is expected to be tabled before the Cabinet for approval before the end of the year, is expected to cost some $368 million.

Due to the rapid increase in the urban population and private car ownership, traffic congestion has increased markedly in Kigali city over the years, while the overall transport system has deteriorated.

Rwanda has one the highest rates of urbanisation in the region, currently standing at 18.7 per cent, with some 1.9 million of people living in urban areas.

The urban population is mostly found in Kigali city, home to approximately one million people.

Private car ownership has been increasing rapidly.

Statistics from the Rwanda Revenue Authority show that between 2009 and 2010, a total 6,878 vehicles were imported into the country.

The new policy is expected to introduce tax incentives for public transport vehicles to indirectly discourage importation of personal vehicles

“We want people to prefer public transport to their cars. Initially, we are thinking about using public buses designed to carry a large number of people,” State Minister for Transport Alexis Nzahabwanimana told The EastAfrican last week.

“Also, public transport will be much cheaper than driving a personal vehicle,” he said.

To discourage private cars from entering the city, the new policy proposes restrictions on vehicular traffic in congested areas and at peak time. These will include high parking prices, car-free streets, cordon controls on entering a particular area and odd/even schemes and variations based on number plates.

According to the October report on the proposed development of an integrated transport system for Kigali, the total number of vehicles moving within the city as of 2004 was estimated at 58,700 trips, 46.6 per cent by cars, 29.4 per cent by buses and 24.0 per cent by trucks.

The projected total vehicle trips for 2010 were estimated at 98,800 trips per day consisting of 45,600 trips by cars, 29,000 trips by buses and 24,400 trips by trucks.

According to a bus passenger demand survey for 2011, total passenger trips come to 136,192 per day with peak-hour passenger trips totalling 16,668.

To meet this demand, Kigali city needs 343 large 60-passenger buses and 1,150 minibuses with a carrying capacity of 18 passengers. The current fleet comprises 550 18-passenger minibuses and about 280 mini buses with a capacity of 26-30 passengers.

“We have realised that most people fail to get public vehicles during peak hours, especially in the evening. Having more vehicles with more capacity around the city will help to solve this problem. Encouraging more people to use public transport is also good for our environment,” Dr Nzahabwanimana said.

The Kigali Bus Service, a dominant private transport operator, recently imported 20 new eco-friendly buses manufactured in China with the capacity to carry 80 passengers each.

The new transport policy proposes the maximum age of buses eligible to operate in the city be limited to 10 years in order to improve safety and reduce pollution.

The Rwanda Public Transporters Association has called for incentives, including tax holidays on importation of the proposed large buses.

Operators are ready to invest in large buses as long there are tax incentives to import these vehicles,” said Charles Ngarambe, the association’s chairman.


http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpE...34748/1267992/-/item/1/-/126fv91/-/index.html
 
#61 · (Edited)
^^

:cheers:

It's really time to have a real urban transportation plan.
Btw here's some pics of the Kigali Bus services. As said previously, there's a 20 buses fleet but according to the company, they are planning to import more 20 similar buses before the end of the year and other 40 in the next phase.



^^
Buses in china before being imported.







Time for Onatracom and Atraco to step in the business, letting one oparator have such a great marketshare would not be in the best interest of Kigalians.
 
#65 ·
^^

:cheers:

It's really time to have a real urban transportation plan.
Btw here's some pics of the Kigali Bus services. As said previously, there's a 20 buses fleet but according to the company, they are planning to import more 20 similar buses before the end of the year and other 40 in the next phase.



^^
Buses in china before being imported.








Time for Onatracom and Atraco to step in the business, letting one oparator have such a great marketshare would not be in the best interest of Kigalians.
What can I say...:cheers:
 
#62 · (Edited)
edit
 
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