Rwanda Signs Paris Agreement on Climate Change
Rwanda has joined over 160 countries in signing the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Rwanda was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo.
The Paris Agreement represents the strong global commitment to promote environmental protection and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The agreement provides the framework for all nations to introduce and strengthen policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to a warmer planet. It also includes a commitment by developed nations to support climate vulnerable countries through finance and technology at $100 billion annually until 2025.
The agreement is the result of years of negotiations that began in Durban in 2011 and concluded at the U.N. Climate Talks held in Paris in December (COP21). The talks were held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and concluded with the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by all parties to the UNFCCC – 196 nations.
“The Paris Agreement is a key platform for a global plan of action that will reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, with the lofty goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5 degrees. This stronger target is what the government called for at the Climate Talks in December 2015 because we know that anything less ambitious places Rwanda and other vulnerable nations at unacceptable risk of climate related disasters,” Natural Resources Minister Vincent Biruta remarked.
Among actions taken by the government with regards to environmental protection are; the ban on plastic bags, conservation of natural heritage through national parks and protected areas, landscape restoration and the planting millions of trees every year.
“A key part of achieving our vision is Rwanda’s Green Fund – a ground-breaking environment and climate change investment fund and the largest of its kind in Africa,”said Minister Mushikiwabo while delivering Rwanda’s national statement in New York. “The fund invests in the best public and private projects that have the potential for trans-formative change and that support Rwanda’s commitment to building a green economy. The fund has mobilized 100 million dollars to date and is a leading example of the impact that well managed climate financing can have.”
She also announced that Rwanda will ratify the Paris Agreement as soon as possible and called on all nations to execute their climate action plans so that the agreement lives up to the expectations of current and future generations. “While the Paris Agreement is a historic step in the right direction, we must not be content with today’s signing alone. The real work now begins to ratify and match our commitments with action,” she said. It has to be noted that the agreement will enter into force on the 30th day after the date on which at least 55 parties to the convention, accounting in total for at least an estimated 55% per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
Read MorePolice warn against violating traffic rules
The Rwanda National Police (RNP) traffic and road safety department has reminded drivers to refrain from bad maneuvers which continue to be the source of road carnage.
Supt. Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of the traffic department said that some of the public transport vehicles also have mechanical faults and operating on expired mechanical inspection certificates
His reaction followed at least six road accidents that occurred on February that claimed 15 lives and leaving scores injured.
“Most of these accidents are due to speeding and overtaking in hotspots especially public transport vehicles that commute to the countryside scrambling for passengers along the way thus violating traffic rules and regulations and putting the lives of people in danger,” said Supt. Ndushabandi.
“There are many sharp corners along highways and there’s a high risk of involving in an accident if you enter and try to negotiate them while on high speed. There’s also a risk of colliding with another vehicle from the opposite direction or going off the road, after failure to control the vehicle. Drivers should therefore behave and drive responsibly while respecting roadside safety signposts to prevent likely accidents.”
RNP also reminded owners of public transport vehicles to speed up the installation of speed governors before the February 26official deadline.
Article 2 of the Presidential Order that sets February 26, this year as the deadline stipulates that “any public or goods’ transport vehicle must be equipped with speed governors to control maximum road speed.”
Read MoreRwanda eyes AviaDev conference in Kigali to boost aviation, hotels
Rwanda is looking at the forth coming AviaDev, an international conference to be held in Kigali as an opportunity to further boost its Aviation and hospitality sectors.
The country has attained high rankings by World Bank doing business report 2016 as one of the easiest place of doing business on the continent, which the government says would wish to boost and attract more investments into the country.
“We want to showcase Rwanda as a key destination to do business,” said Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board –RDB on Thursday.
She says, “A forum focused on aviation developments, AviaDev, provides an important platform for the aviation and hotel sectors to discuss future development projects and forge new relationships.”
The government in a bid to strengthen the hospitality sector embarked on encouraging more investments in Hotels to close the shortage of accommodation in the country.
The AviaDev platform conference which is expected to be held in Kigali on 4 October at the Radisson Hotel and convention centre will come before the prestigious Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) scheduled for 5th and 6th October, 2016.
“AviaDev Africa will be a valuable opportunity for leading executives from aviation and hotel development to have some serious and fruitful discussions on how to develop the future connectivity of the continent.” said
Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events organizers of the forum.
He adds, “Leading airlines, airport and hotel executives, alongside government representatives, will be able to explore the crucial link between aviation and hotel investment.”
The AviaDev provides a unique platform bringing together airlines, airports, hotel and hospitality investors for the first time, Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa, attracting over 500 high-calibre executives from 45 countries, as well as key Government representatives.
Read MoreKigali re-introduces cashless bus fare
Commuters in Kigali are now required to use a cashless public transport card to commute within the city.
Public transport passengers with in Kigali will compulsorily begin using cashless system to pay for transport fares starting with March 2016, but some residents have raised concerns over the new development.
Speaking to this website, Charles Ngarambe, executive chairperson of Kigali Bus Services, said using a smart card will help passengers time that was wasted when they would queue up to buy tickets which was only done using cash.
“The cash system was delays the buses. The use of smart card not only saves time, but also protects the environment and keeps the city clean as we will have gotten rid of paper tickets,” he explained.
Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) says that the new system to ease monitoring of the public transport system and ensure efficiency, a move that is expected to enhance Rwanda’s goal of becoming a cashless society.
The use of technology is not reliable and as you may see there are many uneducated adults who would prefer to use tangible money systems…we are afraid this will be too much for citizen consumption” one of the passengers said.
Emmanuel Asaba Katabarwa, the head of transport department at RURA said that the new system will be gradually develop and residents will be educated on its use.
Three more three companies will be contracted to disseminate the services.
The phase out will be gradual and the initial route that will fully embrace the electronic system is the Kanombe route.
Any passenger leaving Kanombe for Remera, Kacyiru or the city center will only be allowed to board the bus if they have a smart card.
This kind of system had earlier on been introduced two years ago within the city dwellers on an individual convenience but slowly died out and the use of hard cash has been the norm of the daily transport, though some use of electronic payments has been acceptable.
KBS has been at the forefront in embracing the cashless system, but the stakeholders are optimistic the other companies will join in once they have appreciated the advantages.
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Construction of Kigali Convention Center likely to be completed in May
If good weather persists, the physical structure of the Kigali Convention Center and Hotel should be completed by May 1, 2016.
The announcement was made by Rwanda’s Finance Minister, Amb. Claver Gatete while appearing before parliament yesterday.
Rwanda had to contract Turkish engineering firm-Summa to complete construction of the multimillion dollar ($300million) Kigali Convention Centre, after kicking out the Chinese company that was initially contracted but delayed the project for more than four years.
“The works that have been done by the Turkish company indicate a progress in the project’s completion. They will hand over the structure mid-April and by May 1, we will be good to go” Gatete said.
The four-year delay increased the cost of the project from the initial estimate of $300 million due to additional costs incurred by government mainly in form of accumulated interest fees as the project has mainly been financed through external borrowing.
The government spent $120 million from the proceeds of its $400 million Eurobond to repay an outstanding loan secured from Citibank, NA London branch.
The Turkish firm was contracted in June, 2015, on condition that the project is completed by the end of March 2016, failing which it will attract penalties.
The new Kigali conventional center, located on Kacyiru Roundabout, along the Kigali International airport road, will house a five star hotel with 292 rooms, entertainment facilities and conference halls with a capacity of handling over 2 500 persons.
Read MorePolice Orders Public Transporters to Install Speed Governors
The Rwanda National Police (RNP) department of Traffic and Road Safety has yet again reminded public transporters to speed up the installation of speed governors to further prevent road traffic carnage especially those that are caused by high speed, and to avoid likely penalties that might arise of defiance.
In an interview, Supt. Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of the traffic department, said that although some transporters have “honoured their own set deadline,” there are others that have either made no attempt or are yet to programme the installed devices to 60 kilometres-per-hour maximum speed, as per the gazetted of February 26, 2015 Presidential Order.
Article 2 of the Presidential Order, stipulates that “any public or goods’ transport vehicle must be equipped with speed governors to control maximum road speed.”
The same article sets exactly one year from the date of publication of this directive, for all vehicles in question to have installed the device, in this case February 26 being the deadline.
“After several meetings between transporters and other concerned institutions like the ministries of Internal Security and Infrastructure which is also charged with transport, RNP and RURA, including that held last November, the transporters themselves set December 15, 2015 (one month) for all vehicles commuting to the countryside to have fitted these devices while those operating within Kigali take another extra month up to January 15, 2016,” Supt. Ndushabandi explained.
This varied period of installation, he said, was meant not to obstruct the transport sectors or delay movement of people.
“We call upon transporters, who are yet to implement this directive, to do so before the deadline because failure to do so in the set timeframe attracts penalties,” he said.
“This directive was put in place to reduce road carnage and protect people’s lives that otherwise would be lost due to high speed. There was ample time to comply and implement it and we are keen on this deadline because we have to ensure the security of people while on roads.”
Supt. Ndushabandi revealed that a team has been instituted to conduct an inspection exercise to see if all the transporters have “complied with their set target and the Presidential Order.”
Read MoreONATRACOM to be dissolved into RITCO Ltd
Defunct Rwanda national transport company Onatracom is set to be dissolved into a new and independent transport operation company -Rwanda Interlink Transport Corporation Ltd (RITCO), according to the ministry of infrastructure
Dr. Alexis Nzahabwanimana, the state minister for infrastructure, made the revelation while presenting a report on the state of transport to the Rwandan parliament, this January 28, 2016.
“We believe that the Onatracom has come of age and has been in gross losses. By changing its status to a private company we expect an improved efficiency and solution to its troubles in the past” Dr. Nzahabwanimana said.
The new developments indicate that government will have 53percent of the shares in Ritco while private public transporter cooperatives-Rwanda Federation of Transport Company (RFTC) will have the remaining shares.
To boost the new company operations, Rwf11billion has been set aside as initial capital from shareholders, and at least 163 new state of the art buses will be purchased in the process according to the agreement between stakeholders.
Last year, the Rwanda government had announced plans to place loss-making public transporter under private managers and terms of reference for the international tender to hire the company to manage the failing public transporter were underway.
Onatracom, Rwanda’s state-owned public transport company is to be placed under the care of private managers in the last attempt to rescue it from stubborn losses averaging Rwf35 million monthly.
Troubled history
Created in 1970s as state-owned public transport enterprise, Onatracom was given a social mission to operate in rural routes and other routes which the private operators cannot operate because they are not profitable.
The company is also used to transport people during celebrations of national days such as Independence Day and Liberation Day. It was also tasked to provide other services such as production of car number plates, vehicle technical inspection, repair and servicing of government vehicles and management of taxi parks across the country.
Onatracom was entitled to budgetary support from the government and this would supplement the revenues from the transport services and other services for the company to continue operating as a monopoly in transport services and other services.
However, most of these services have been stripped off of Onatracom and it is only left with transport services. Production of car number plates has been shifted to the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), vehicle technical inspection has been moved to the Rwanda National Police (RNP), repair and servicing of government vehicles is now open for competition by the owners of private garages, and management of taxi parks has been decentralised to local administration such as districts.
Since 2008, the government has also cut the budget support to the company. As a result, Onatracom started experiencing cash flow problems in 2009.
By the time the government intervened in mid-2011, the company had accumulated over Rwf2 billion in arrears to staff, suppliers, and the revenue collector.
The weakening of Onatracom, however, can be attributed to reluctance of the government to reform it and lack of strong management.
In 2007-2008, government gave Onatracom new buses to help improve its cash flow. However, the government failed to follow up and change the law if it wanted to see Onatracom operating profitably. The new buses were also poorly managed and after two years, few were still operating. The management also failed to deal with competition from the private sector.
Read MoreChina Road Company given ultimatum to restore Lake Kivu
Nyamasheke district officials have asked China Road Company & Bridge Corporation to remove all the debris which was dumped in Lake Kivu as soon as possible, otherwise measures will be taken against the Chinese company owners.
The company allegedly dropped big stones at the Kariba site along the lake shores while doing its construction works. The stones are believed to be a potential danger to boats, water sources and a danger to human life and water organisms.
A study conducted by Francis Kayumba, an official of the ministry of natural resources last August 2015, showed that several activities along the Lake Kivu shores including stone quarrying activities had impacted on the water bodies in the areas and action needed to be taken.
Nyamaseke Mayor, Aimée Fabien Kamali says that the notification has been given to the Chinese company and they have to remove the stones and reclaim the land that was damaged along the shores during the quarrying activities.
“We have hope that they will positively respond to the demand of the district, so that the lake lifespan is maintained and the damage is minimized. If they don’t, then we shall take necessary measures” Kamali said.
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