Guidance

UK-Rwanda commercial relationship

Published 4 November 2015

1. UK-Rwanda commercial relationship

• The UK and Rwanda enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship.
• The UK is not only a committed development partner of Rwanda, but we are dedicated to strengthening the commercial links between the two countries.
• We believe that encouraging and supporting British business in Rwanda, and investing in improving the business climate here, will enable both countries to prosper.

2. Headline UK-Rwanda trade and investment facts

• Bilateral trade in goods between the UK and Rwanda exceeded £21 million in 2014 up from £10 million 2012. UK exports to Rwanda, principally of machinery and pharmaceuticals, totalled £15 million.
• There are around 150 British companies registered in Rwanda.
• The UK is the biggest investor in the tea sector in Rwanda.
• A British architect has done the design for Bugesera airport.
• Rwandair purchase of 2 new A300 from Airbus with Rolls Royce engines.
• UK companies, including Deloitte, PWC and Ernst & Young, are leading the growth of the financial services sector in Rwanda.
• A 50 company strong trade mission visited Rwanda March 2015, which included a significant British contingent. The mission was organised by the London-based East Africa Association.
• Rwandan Delegation, headed by President Kagame for Global International African Summit, London, 1-2 December. Highlights robust commercial relationship.

3. UK support to Rwanda

• The UK is investing £4.8 million in improving the business climate in Rwanda, through DFID’s Rwanda Investment Climate Reform Programme 3. The programme will support the deepening of reforms aimed at improving the transparency, predictability and certainty of Rwanda’s investment climate, attracting investment and creating competitiveness.
• The UK will spend an additional £9.8 million on Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) over the next 2 years, following a previous investment of £9.3 million. TMEA supports the growth of regional and international trade in East Africa, ensuring tangible gains from trade for East Africans.
• The British-funded Access to Finance Rwanda programme, worth £9 million (2010-15), promotes financial inclusion by improving access to financial services for the rural poor.
• In 2015 the British Government’s inclusion of Rwanda to the UK export Finance programme will now consider export finance worth up to £75 million for British companies exporting to Rwanda.
• The British Government has offered11 Chevening scholarships to Rwandans in 2015, enabling advanced study in the UK. This scholarship programme has been running in Rwanda since 1998, giving young Rwandans access to skills and a global leadership network – vital to developing business environment.
• The British Government sponsored a visit to London by the RDB in March 2015 in order to raise awareness of Private Public Partnership best practice and UK expertise, and to offer an opportunity for RDB to engage with British companies interested in working with Rwanda.

4. Trade and investment climate in Rwanda

• Rwanda is an attractive prospect for British investors, with economic growth around 7% and a stable political and business environment.
• Rwanda’s continued integration into the EAC is vital for improving market access, enabling companies to do business on a regional scale, and attracting future British investment. The UK is supportive of Rwanda’s efforts to break down barriers to trade within the EAC.
• Rwanda has made tremendous progress in improving the ease of doing business, but in order to attract more British investment, Rwanda needs to continue working to reduce the costs of doing business. This includes improvements to essential infrastructure (most importantly energy and transport), making improvements to the regulatory environment (i.e. competition), developing a flexible labour market with the right skills, further capacity building in tendering and further simplifying processes and procedures.