Saturday 24 May 2025, EABC, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) coordinated the National Awareness Training on the Rwanda Trade Information Portal, a vital initiative to empower businesses and streamline trade within the East African Community (EAC) and beyond.
The training held on 22nd -23rd May 2025 convened stakeholders from key value chains, notably Horticulture, Leather, and Coffee.
Mr. Jean d’Amour Kamayirese, Chairman of the Leather Cluster, extended heartfelt appreciation to the *East African Business Council (EABC), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA)* for organizing this crucial training. He particularly thanked Mr. Karera Dennis, Vice Chairperson of EABC, whose strong advocacy helped resolve export levy challenge on hides and skins, that impacted price competitiveness. The He also highlighted new trade opportunities in Nigeria for edible leather and urged continued advocacy for their pending license.
Mr. Jean Pierre Mwizerwa underscored the importance of this partnership, welcoming all participants as key stakeholders in helping the RRA achieve its targets. He stressed that “Information is key in every business” and encouraged diligent engagement with the training to leverage this valuable resource for essential business information.
Mr Robert Rukundo, the Chairperson of the Rwanda Horticulture Association, applauded the organizers, EABC and ITC, for the opportunity they provided to Rwandans, particularly those involved in the horticulture, coffee, and leather sectors.
He recommended that such valuable training continues to be organized in the future, as they play a key role in enlightening and empowering Rwandan business players.
Mr. Karera Dennis, Vice Chairperson of EABC, reiterated EABC’s commitment to facilitating smoother business operations within the EAC. He proudly shared EABC’s successful advocacy efforts, including reducing container transit time at the port from one month to just two days and minimizing roadblocks, enabling direct transport of goods to Kigali Mr. Karera urged participants to fully engage with the training, as it will equip them with knowledge and skills to not only improve their own businesses but also to empower others.
During a preliminary survey, participants demonstrated their excitement to learn how to navigate the portal to use it effectively to improve compliance and procedures, further noting the limited accessibility of current trade regulatory procedures on the portal. They recommended the Rwanda Revenue Authority to widely disseminate information about the portal through awareness training and ensure the portal reflects accurate, user-friendly, and up-to-date regulatory processes.
The event reaffirmed the importance of inclusive, digital-led trade facilitation in unlocking Rwanda’s full export potential and enhancing intra-African trade.
