East African Business Week

KIGALI, RWANDA -   Rwanda government will sooner than later begin a campaign in a bid to help  Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) get access to finance.
The Trade and Industry Minister, François Kanimba revealed last week in a Consultative meeting to discuss SME development in the Country.
The Minister also said that SMEs play a pivotal role in the Country's economic development.
  "We are going to assist all the SME Operators access finance from the financial Institutions to boost businesses," Kanimba said.
Kanimba added that his Ministry had recently carried a survey in all Rwanda's 30 districts areas that need financial support.
The Minister cited the example of Nyagatare District which he said requires milk related support like establishment of a market for milk products.
Julius Rukundo, the Vice Mayor of Bugesera says that the SMEs challenge of not having access to finance can only be solved when the government intervenes.
"Access to finance is still a big challenge to SMEs, but if the government has agreed to assist them then that is a good initiative that will boost low income groups," he said.
   SMEs Establishment Census 2011 also cited that SMEs also face other challenges such as lack of entrepreneurial culture, limited technical and business skills and difficulty in accessing markets.
    Out of 123,526 SMEs in Rwanda, it has been discovered that close to 90% neither pay taxes and nor are they registered.