Trending
- Kenya-Ethiopia Trade Relations: Legislators Advocate for Policy Alignment to Boost Ties
- Visualising the state of debt in Africa 2024
- Abu Dhabi radiates optimism as over 300 startups join AIM Congress 2024
- TLcom Capital Raises $154 million in Funding to Boost Its African Growth
- Africa’s $824Bn debt, resource-backed opaque loans slowing growth — AfDB
- LB Investment brings $1.2 trillion portfolio display to AIM Congress spotlight
- AmCham Summit kicks off, setting course for robust future of US-East Africa trade ties
- Why the UN is raising the red flag on the UK-Rwanda asylum treaty
Rwanda
- According to the UNDP, only 20% of Africans can access quality health care easily.
- World Health Organization recognizes Rwanda as one of the few American countries to perform well on the goal of Universal health coverage.
- The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (HEPR) has awarded 34 grants worth $177 million as of June 2022.
Rwanda is among the upcoming African countries trying to catch up to its sister countries. Today Rwanda is among the few African countries that strive to attain Universal Health Coverage, and this comes because 90% of Rwanda’s population has health insurance.
Understanding what exactly is Universal Health Coverage
Universal Health Coverage, or UHC, is used when a government can provide medical access to all its citizens regardless of where and when the patient requires it. It is a known fact that medical debt is among the top three causes of personal financial difficulties, alongside education …
As Africa’s role in the global economy continues to garner prominence, it’s imperative for the continent to seal the gaping hole in its power supply.
Lack of universal power access remains a major roadblock that has retrogressed industrialization and socio-economic development. Statistics from the World Bank indicate that Africa remains the least electrified region in the world, with 568 million people lacking access to electricity.
The Bretton Woods institution, further notes that the Sub-Saharan Africa’s share of the global population without electricity, jumped to 77 per cent in 2020 from 71 per cent in 2018, whilst most regions saw declines in their share of access deficits. It has become a Hobson’s choice for African governments to prioritize the power sector, which is the epicenter of industrialization, working towards Goal 7 of the UN SDGs; which advocates for universal access to affordable, reliable and modern electricity services.
Currently, Africa’s power is …
- Rwanda will receive two loans amounting to $180 million from the African Development Bank
- The funds will support a major energy project that will extend electricity access to rural areas and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- It entails the construction of over 1,000 km of medium voltage and 3,300 km of low voltage lines to boost last-mile access
- The project is expected to connect 77,470 households to the electricity network for the first time and connect 75 schools, eight health centres and 65 administration centres
Rwanda will receive two loans amounting to $180 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to co-finance a major energy project that will extend electricity access to rural areas and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In a statement seen by The Exchange Africa, the AfDB said the new funding follows the approval for $84.2 million made in May 2021 for the same project.
According to the lender, …
Rwanda is poised to launch what it refers to as the ‘COVID-19 recovery fund’ that will serve to finance economic recovery efforts post the virus pandemic.
Among the sectors slated to benefit from the recovery fund is the country’s tourism sector. It only makes sense since, the tourism sector is one of the most affected sectors along with the catering and hospitality sectors as well.
In so doing Rwanda, which actually called for an emergency East Africa Community (EAC) Heads of State meeting to deliberate regional response to the coronavirus pandemic, has again set precedent been the first country in the region to set aside recovery funds for the coronavirus aftermath.
The affected businesses across various economic sectors will be afforded access to low interest and even interest free loans. The loans are expected to help the business get back on their feet serving as operating capital.
Of these, it …
Rwanda—East Africa’s fastest-growing economy has paved the way for Qatar Airways—world’s best airline in 2019, to get 60 per cent stake in the new $1.3 billion international airports in Rwanda.
This is according to a Reuters report which says that the information was revealed by state-run development board on Monday 10 December 2019.
The international news outlet says the development board highlighted that the first phase of construction would provide facilities for 7 million passengers a year in the Bugesera district, about 25 km southeast of the nation’s capital Kigali.
Further, the second phase, which is expected to be completed by 2032, would double capacity to 14 million passengers a year.
Rwanda has been an active economic performer in the region, whereby—the African Development Bank report shows that the real GDP growth in Rwanda reached 6.1 per cent in 2017 and was estimated at 7.2 per cent in 2018 …
The African Development Bank and partners officially launched Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Risk Sharing Facility earlier this week at a press conference held during the 2019 Global Gender Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.
The bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) programme started with significant support from commercial banks and a $1 million commitment from the government of Rwanda.
AFAWA is one of the Bank’s gender-focused programmes which seeks to close the financial gap for women by accelerating growth and employment creation across African economies.
“Today is a great day! With this facility, women will be able to receive technical assistance. We shall strengthen our capacity and we shall get there. The decision that we are taking today is highly transformational. It will permanently transform Africa.” said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.
The press conference was attended by several heads of commercial …
Rwanda’s debt rose to $5.4 billion last year from $4.8 billion in 2017, World Bank data shows.
Rwanda’s debt level this year is projected to rise to 49.1 per cent as a ratio of GDP, from 40.7 per cent last year.
According to the Ministry of Finance, much of the country’s debt is Long-term, with a repayment period of up to 40 years. Despite this, the biggest test for Rwanda’s debt burden is expected to come in 2023, when the repayment of its $400 million Eurobond will fall due.
The settlement is expected to put pressure on government coffers, even with Kigali having an option to issue another Eurobond to retire the maturing of the loan.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been pressing the government to improve its financial transparency and analyse fiscal risks to avoid surprises in the economy during the repayment period.
“So we want to look …
Rwanda has been ranked as the top destination to travel to in Africa 2020 and among the top 30 globally, a report by Travel Lemming which recognizes trending destinations.
The annual awards were published this week on the Travel Lemming site which promotes emerging destinations around the world giving a solution to over-tourism and encouraging travellers to think beyond the traditional “tourist traps.”
Winners were selected after voting by 30 of the most popular travel bloggers in the industry, who collectively have more than 12 million followers on social media.
Among the factors that were listed by voters on why Rwanda was an ideal destination is the country’s growing connectivity through the national carrier RwandAir, safety and conservation efforts.
Rwanda having been named as the safest country in Africa by the economic forum and RwandAir slated to open direct flights from JFK (New York) to Kigali gave the country …
Plans to construct the first state-of-the-art Kigali Central Sewerage System plant by 2022, could leave investors in Rwanda will a less burden of a requirement to construct individual sewerage systems underneath structures.
Construction of all commercial housing projects in Kigali city have been required to build their own septic tanks or mini waste treatment plants which is costly in construction and daily maintenance with the latter requiring foreign expertise.
“With the new central system we may not require investors to build their own systems, because the current network will be connected to the central system. This option is possible and will be deliberated after the plant is complete,” Parfait Busabizwa, the Kigali city Vice Mayor in charge of economic development said.
Kigali’s first wastewater network and treatment plant is expected to improve city hygiene especially during the rainy days, reduce air pollution as well as make Kigali an even better …
