{"id":14655,"date":"2019-08-09T22:49:35","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T22:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paulkagame.com\/?p=14655"},"modified":"2019-09-03T20:06:18","modified_gmt":"2019-09-03T20:06:18","slug":"president-kagame-remarks-at-psf-golden-business-forum-kigali-9-august-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/?p=14655","title":{"rendered":"President Kagame Remarks at PSF Golden Business Forum | Kigali, 9 August 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Good morning.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Thank you for the invitation to join you today for the first Golden Business Forum.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I first want to extend a special welcome to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>all the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>visitors<\/span><\/span>\u00a0who have travelled here to participate<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Please feel at home<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and come back often.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span><\/span>he private sector\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is absolutely central to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Africa\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>transformatio<\/span><\/span>n<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>For too long, development was seen as the task of governments and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0NGOs<\/span><\/span>. Business was rarely<\/span><\/span>\u00a0included in the conversation<\/span><\/span>\u00a0even though the business people were always a significant part of that development<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>That attitude held us back both as Rwanda and as\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>continent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But a decisive shift<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has been\u00a0<\/span><\/span>underway<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Over the past 15 years,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Africa<\/span><\/span>n countries\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have\u00a0<\/span><\/span>been among\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the strongest\u00a0<\/span><\/span>performers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on the World Bank\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Doing Business<\/span><\/span>\u00a0index<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Business leaders now participate\u00a0<\/span><\/span>regularly\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in African Union Summits<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in a meaningful way<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the pace of regional and continental integration has accelerated significantly.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is now in force, and trading will commence in July 2020.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Protocol on the Free Movement of People has been signed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and the ratification process is underway.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Once in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0effect<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Africans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>will no longer require visas to travel\u00a0<\/span><\/span>within<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Africa<\/span><\/span>, among other\u00a0<\/span><\/span>valuable\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rights.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You know, on this point, we need to understand tha<\/span><\/span>t,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>one, how are you going to allow otherwise free movement for goods but you don\u2019t allow free movement of people?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Also, we have to understand that even with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>these\u00a0<\/span><\/span>restrictions on movements of people<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>visas, all\u00a0<\/span><\/span>those\u00a0<\/span><\/span>requirements<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>actually people have been moving. They move across borders whether you give them visa or not. They only choose which routes to take.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And some of these people are brothers and sisters, only that they live on the opposite side of what is known as \u2018the border\u2019. So it is up to us leaders, mainly political leaders, to really make it easy for all of us, because in the end, we benefit without exception.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>adoption of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is set to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>eliminate internal barriers for African airlines<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These agreements are set to remake African economies<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for the better<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>generating new opportunities for the firms who are ready to take full advantage.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Of course, we\u00a0<\/span><\/span>expect\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that African companies will\u00a0<\/span><\/span>be in the lead<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>showing the way.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The progress at the continental level complements what we have been doing in our East African region<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We are working to build shared rail<\/span><\/span>way<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and power transmission infrastructure.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Single Customs Territory and the associated digital applications\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have enhanced\u00a0<\/span><\/span>trade facilitation<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>These measures<\/span><\/span>, among others,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have already resulted in increased trade volumes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0within our region<\/span><\/span>, and higher revenues.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I therefore\u00a0<\/span><\/span>wish to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>commend the Private Sector Federation for organising this forum<\/span><\/span>, which we hope to see become a regular\u00a0<\/span><\/span>event<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0And Chairman of PSF<\/span><\/span>\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>since you gave me an open invitation<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I promise you I will be a regular attendee, whether in this office or outside of it if the invitation remains open.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And I wish to thank again the other participants from across Africa and those who came in from Asia<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I am told there are a significant number of Chinese here present<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>from\u00a0<\/span><\/span>other places in Asia and also Europe<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014 thank you very much<\/span><\/span>. Y<\/span><\/span>ou<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are most welcome.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s continued growth<\/span><\/span>\u00a0requires global linkages, especially\u00a0<\/span><\/span>through\u00a0<\/span><\/span>business-to-business relationships<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The more we trade with each other within Africa, the more we will<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>be able\u00a0<\/span><\/span>not only\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>export\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the rest of the world as well<\/span><\/span>\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span><\/span>also\u00a0<\/span><\/span>increase the understanding of each other and create a good relationship among our nations<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Definitely, t<\/span><\/span>here is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this\u00a0<\/span><\/span>direct correlation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Governments are only part of the equation. We cannot do it without the private sector.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Continental Free Trade Agreement will only produce the results we expect<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>if you<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the business community<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span><\/span>make it work for us.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That is the most important message I wish to leave with you<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I hope\u00a0<\/span><\/span>everyone will be able to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>enjoy the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>22<\/span><\/span>nd<\/span><\/span>Rwanda International Trade Fair<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as well\u00a0<\/span><\/span>before it concludes on Sunday.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I also wish you a very successful and productive day<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as you continue your deliberations.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Asanteni sana.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good morning.\u00a0Thank you for the invitation to join you today for the first Golden Business Forum. I first want to extend a special welcome to\u00a0all the\u00a0visitors\u00a0who have travelled here to participate.\u00a0Please feel at home,\u00a0and come back often. The private sector\u00a0is absolutely central to\u00a0Africa\u2019s\u00a0transformation.\u00a0For too long, development was seen as the task of governments and\u00a0NGOs. Business was rarely\u00a0included in the conversation\u00a0even though the business people were always a significant part of that development.\u00a0That attitude held us back both as Rwanda and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-speech","post-has-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14655"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14657,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14655\/revisions\/14657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulkagame.rw\/2025\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}