Kigali Set for Investment Talks

RWANDA IS laying out the red carpet for delegates to the second edition of its investment conference, which kicks off in Kigali this week. The conference, now an annual event, will run from May 13-15 at the Kigali Intercontinental Hotel. President Paul Kagame will address the 600 expected delegates. East Africa, led by Kenya and its 40-man delegation, is expected to make a strong showing at the conference, which has attracted 160 non-African delegates.

According to officials of the Rwanda Investment Promotion Agency, (RIPA) Kigali will be showcasing its central location in the region, its plans for the coming free trade zones, as well as its economic and political stability. Kigali hopes to sell itself as a centre for regional trade. The Rwandan economy has posted 9 per cent average growth over the past 10 years.

"Not only is our location just right, but international agencies such as the World Bank rate Rwanda as a leader in good governance in Africa given the very low levels of corruption, we also have a constitution that guarantees property rights," said RIPA Director General Williams Nkurunziza.

On offer will be opportunities in agriculture with its potential for food processing; tourism; telecoms; energy and mining; ICT; infrastructure and finance.

Rwanda faces an acute energy deficit, which officials say should be seen more as an opportunity than a problem by potential investors. More than 150 projects, worth an estimated $300 million, have been licensed in the four years since RIPA became operational.