On the evening of Friday 27th January 2017, members of the business community in Tanzania gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel to celebrate the most accomplished businesses of 2016. The event was the Tanzania Leadership Awards (TLA), which honors successful businesses that range from conglomerates with more than 500 employees, to small start-ups with a staff count of 2 to 4 employees.   Expogroup, a pioneer in the trade show.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 3rd February 2017

LEGISLATORS in the Lower House, on Tuesday, passed a series of Bills that will see Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) dissolved and replaced by three independent and specialised bodies focused on oil, gas, and minerals as well as land, water, and forestry.   The basis of the draft laws was unanimously approved by the House, last week, when tabled by the Minister for Natural Resources, Dr Vincent Biruta, who also sought and.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 3rd February 2017

Old computers, mobile phones and other electronic gadgets will soon be put to good use following the completion of a recycling plant scheduled to open in Bugesera District this month.   According to officials, final touches are being put at the plant that will dismantle and recycle electronic and electrical equipment to offer an 'end of-life' solution for out-of-use electronic waste.   Olivier Mbera, the programme manager of the.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 3rd February 2017

Six new roads are in the works in the Southern Nation Nationalities & Peoples' regional state, Somali regional state, Oromia regional state and Benishangul Gumuz regional state. The projects were awarded to three foreign contractors and three local private construction companies by the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA). All six projects are worth six billion Birr.   The award ceremony was held at the headquarters of the authority by.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 3rd February 2017

Kenya had the highest number of mega infrastructure projects in East Africa in 2016, Deloitte has said, noting it helped the country to maintain its lead as the regional powerhouse.   There were 11 ongoing projects valued at $7.01 billion (Sh727.98 billion) in the country last year, the consultancy firm said in the 2016 Africa Construction Trends Report.   The top projects comprised both public and private investments such as the.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 2nd February 2017

 African Development Bank (AfDB) and Ethiopia concluded a financing agreement of 2 billion Birr. The agreement was signed on January 30, 2015. Out of the entire 2 billion Birr, 65 percent of it was extended as grant while the rest 780 million was loan.   The money obtained via loan and grant is expected to be used for Jimma – Chida and Sodo – Sawula Road Upgrading projects. The roads that stretch for 220 kilometers are.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 2nd February 2017

Nowhere shows the profound way that Britain says it is looking to change and sharpen its approach to international development and aid for the poorest countries in the world than Ethiopia.   This is a country synonymous with food instability, drought and inevitably malnutrition and famine where tens of millions have been dependent on subsistence farming.   Very few will ever forget the worldwide humanitarian efforts spearheaded by.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 2nd February 2017

The timelines for the construction of the Central Corridor standard gauge railway project connecting Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi have become hazy, as partners report increasing difficulty in concluding funding arrangements for the $7.6 billion project.   Although officials in Kigali say Rwanda and Burundi agreed to keep their political differences out of the 1,672km project that promises their landlocked territories a low-cost link to.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 2nd February 2017

Tanzania is looking at using proceeds from its $700 million Eurobond and concessional loans to fund the construction of its standard gauge railway, making a big policy shift from its regional neighbours, who have bought into China's fund, build and operate model to fund their railway projects.   This change of tack brings into question the role China will play in the project, having agreed in July last year to advance $7.9 million to the.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 2nd February 2017

Rwanda has pledged to continue supporting activities of Shelter Afrique, a Pan-African financial institution dedicated to financing housing and infrastructural related activities in Africa.   The Minister for Infrastructure, James Musoni, made the commitment in Nairobi, yesterday, at an extra-ordinary session of General Assembly of Shelter Afrique, which took place at Windsor Hotel.   Musoni commended the work done by Shelter.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 2nd February 2017

Kigali, 31 January 2016- Rwanda has registered consistent improvement in different governance and development sectors, according to the Rwanda Governance Scorecard (RGS) 2016. The RGS fourth edition launched today at the Kigali Convention Centre indicates that compared to the 2014 edition, six out of eight major indicators have recorded higher scores while only two presented slight decline. RGS is an annual publication seeking to gauge the.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 1st February 2017

The Government has welcomed the new ranking of the global Corruption Perception Index with officials promising to score higher next time.   The Corruption Perception Index, released yesterday in Kigali, placed Rwanda alongside Mauritius as third least corrupt country in sub-Saharan Africa.   The annual report, produced by Transparency International, ranked Rwanda 50th least corrupt country globally, retaining the same 54 per cent.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 1st February 2017