Avellon Williams
BARBADOS- Rwandan business players are looking to leverage the strong bilateral ties between Rwanda and Barbados to explore and leverage trade and investment opportunities in the Caribbean nation.
Business leaders from Rwanda will travel to Bridgetown, Barbados from August 3 to 8 for an investment forum titled “Strengthening Economic and Cultural Ties” organized by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Invest Barbados.
RDB officials indicate that members of the public and private sectors will attend the high-level business forum to discuss various opportunities for partnership in sectors including energy, e-mobility, ICT, wellness, financial and legal services, agriculture, general trading and manufacturing, tourism, and cultural services.
Both countries are participating in this first business trip following the conclusion of several cooperation agreements over the past few years.
However, one can perceive cooperation when MoUs have been signed and tangible engagements have occurred across sectors, resulting in the development of both economies.
As an example, when Steve Andrews, a massage and wellness therapist, visited Rwanda at the end of June to train local wellness practitioners, he found a young but still vibrant industry.
With over 26 years of experience, the Barbados-born therapist trained about 50 Rwandan therapists on spa standard development and different therapy techniques.
His contention is that both countries have a lot in common and much to share for the mutual benefit of their people, which is why this alliance should be driven to create a significant impact on the African continent and the Caribbean.
According to him, Barbados is a service-based economy and very advanced in the tourism sector, which provides a unique opportunity for knowledge-sharing with Rwandans.
Meanwhile, Andrews said Barbados can learn a lot from Rwanda, such as advanced technology adoption and innovations, agriculture, and financial ecosystem, among others.
Barbados has a small population of less than 300,000 and a per capita GDP of $17,000.
In his remarks, Emery Rubagenga, the honorary consul of Rwanda to Barbados, pointed out that many of the challenges that might currently obstruct the development of the Barbados-Rwanda relationship are actually opportunities that should be explored more closely.
A good example is the lack of airline connections between the African continent and the Caribbean region. The signature of an Air Services Agreement is already a good step in the right direction.
“The relationship between Barbados and Rwanda is driven by both leaders, they are very committed to having strong diplomatic ties established, enabling business or even investment strategic partnerships. Our mission is to be a bridge to enable business and investment exchange to happen,” he added.
Mia Amor Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, last visited Rwanda, and both countries signed an air service agreement to enable a Caribbean-African airline to operate.
The Rwanda Chamber of Tourism’s Director General Frank Gisha said the upcoming business forum offers investment opportunities in tourism, which is an important source of income for the country.
Moreover, business-to-business exchange, joint sales promotion, and capacity building will be offered to business players in this sector, he said.
“Bilateral trade ties between both countries is an absolute necessity. It’s more of complementarity than competition.”
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