Rwanda which became a full member of the East African Community on July 1st 2007 is now ranked the fastest global business reformer on the ease of doing business in the World Bank Doing Business Survey 2010. In the 2011 World Bank Doing Business Report Rwanda was ranked the most improved country in Africa with ranking of 58th overall. The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report has ranked Rwanda 6th in Africa. With its rapid reform strategy combined with the well functioning institutions, rule of law and zero tolerance for corruption, Rwanda has created an investor friendly climate that should be interesting for Norwegian Companies looking to do business in East Africa. More information on investment opportunities can be got from the website http://www.rdb.rw/ for the Rwanda Development Board , the investment promotion centre for the county.
Working together, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kampala and NORFUND office in Nairobi will begin the process of planning the business mission to Rwanda. In this regard we are requesting our Embassies in the region jointly with our partners in the Norwegian private sector to inform their contacts about this business mission so that interested companies wishing to join us may begin to plan for this trip.
So far the proposed time would be week 3 (19-20 January, 2012) and the program would include an Investment Seminar, meetings with key business institutions in Rwanda, one to one meetings with Rwandan Business one and some site visits.
Further detailed planning will be ongoing and the key persons to contact at the Embassy are Sissel Idland, First Secretary Political Affairs sissel.idland@mfa.no and Mary Mabweijano, Senior Program Officer mary.mabweijano@mfa.no . At NORFUND you may contact Abubakar Lewano, Senior Associate abubakar.lewano@norfund.no.