Norwegian Investors To Partner With Rwandans
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy to Uganda and Rwanda organized a one day summit for both Norwegian and Rwandan investors to meet and discuss possible collaborative investments in Rwanda. This summit took place at Kigali Serena Hotel on 19th January 2012.
Giving the welcoming remarks was Vivian Kayitesi, head of investment promotion and implementation at RDB who highly welcomed the Norwegian investors and highlighted key factors that make Rwanda worth investing. Vivian mentioned RDB’s one stop center position for an investor that has quick, efficient and supportive services highlighting certain incentives to big investors like duty free imports and land acquisition assistance.
RDB’s CEO John Gara said that the importance of this summit is to create an opportunity for potential investors to discover potential investment opportunities in Rwanda. “This is part of our ongoing campaign to invite more investors to come and invest in Rwandaâ€, Gara added.
Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda and Rwanda Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther in word stated, “Given the fact that Rwanda has smoothened systems of business establishment, as evidenced by the World Bank’s ranking where Rwanda was ranked the first country with quick business establishment services, We have decided to invite Norwegian investors precisely Norfund and Fanasi to come and discover investment opportunities in Rwandaâ€.
Per Emil Lindøe is the Director of Norfund East Africa, an investment giant worth 2 billion US dollars financed by the Norwegian government to invest in developing countries. Lindøe discussed their mode of doing business where he listed financial institutions, SMEs, Renewable Energy and Industries as their main target of investment noting 5 to 10 million US dollars as their range of capital usually availed to invest in a single project.
Lindøe went ahead to briefly describe their investment prerequisites as being mainly analysis of a firm’s management, technology, ownership and capital.
Paul Nguru who works for Fanasi an investment company sponsored by Norfund to invest in small capital demanding businesses of between half a million to one million US dollar, also went ahead to discuss their business models and incentives that come along partnering with them.
The team of over 100 Entrepreneurs that had gathered adjourned their summit by taking a tour to the Musanze Hydro Electric Power Plant.
