Rwandan delegation in country to explore business opportunities
A 34-Member delegation from Rwanda, comprising government officials and relevant stakeholders in the private sector, is in the country to explore bilateral opportunities in business, tourism and economic development.
The visit is in response to a Ghanaian delegation that toured Rwanda in March this year to promote regional tourism and bilateral trade, in anticipation of greater collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
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As part of the visit, the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), in partnership with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), organised a business breakfast meeting in Accra yesterday to escalate previous efforts at encouraging business-to-business (B2B) linkages and institutional collaboration between the two countries.
Meeting
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, said at the meeting that the two countries could learn from each other, particularly in the tourism sector.
For instance, she said, three choices that had shaped the development of Rwanda's tourism industry could be adopted by Ghana, while observations made by the Rwandan delegation would serve as the foundation for further discussions on the sector.
“We have unity of purpose and engagement and will not allow anyone to divide us. It's our choice to decide to unite or remain divided, but we want to see our people, especially women and children, work together, so we have to learn from each other,” the high commissioner said.
According to Dr Kacyira, another important factor that helped in the development of her country’s tourism sector was thinking big, saying: “There are so many opportunities in Africa and we have to think big to realise that.”
Rwanda-Ghana trade
The Deputy CEO of the GEPA, Mr Samuel Dentu, said trade between Ghana and Rwanda was still low.
He, however, expressed the hope that the coming into force of the AfCFTA would reverse the trade gap between the two countries and foster deeper relations for the mutual benefit of their people.
“It’s time to improve on our trade relations and take advantage of the AfCFTA,” Mr Dentu added.
The Director of Investor Services at the GIPC, Mr Edward Ashong-Lartey, who made a presentation on “Doing business in Ghana”, said there was a conducive environment in the country for business growth, adding that “connecting to any part of the world is not a big challenge”.
He shared insights on the minimum requirements needed to establish a company in Ghana, adding that the GIPC had plans to review the requirements to make business competitive to attract more investors.
The Head of trade, manufacturing and services at GEPA, Mr Banda Abdallah, said Ghana had made significant in-roads in West Africa, and that by 2029, it expected to make over $25 billion from non-traditional exports.
He added that the country had outlined 15 products, including cocoa powder and malt extracts, for export to Rwanda and other parts of Africa.
For his part, the General Manager of the Labadi Beach Hotel, Mr Rene Vincent-Ernst, welcomed the delegation and assured them of a memorable stay in the country.
Speaking on behalf of GHATOF, he urged the delegation to feel at home and explore business opportunities in the country.
Expectations
Some members of the Rwandan delegation, including Mr Eugene Nshimiyimana, who runs a travel and tour company, told the Daily Graphic that he was in Ghana to explore opportunities available for Rwanda’s tourism sector.
“We are hoping to strengthen the relationship with stakeholders here in Ghana’s tourism and for intra-African trade to increase,” he said.
Another member, Mr Chetan Gina, who works with Rickshaw Travels Rwanda Limited, said by visiting Ghana, his company, which has branches in Tanzania and Kenya, was seeking to explore opportunities that could complement its operations in both East and West Africa.