A government official from Rwanda hinted that bypassing “middlemen” in tourism in order for both countries to keep full earnings from travellers – in a bid to reinforce ties between the East African nation and Barbados across various domains,

Professor Nshuti Manasseh, Minister of State in Charge of the East African Community in the Rwandan foreign ministry, made this suggestion over the weekend as he addressed his country’s inaugural business mission to this island, hosted by Invest Barbados at Needham’s Point. He argued how “countries with captivating attractions receive the least from tourists“.

He noted too often visitors are required to “send all their money back home” before they journey to their destinations “and stay almost free,” leaving their funds “in the West“.

Meanwhile Nelly Mukazayire, the Deputy CEO of the Rwandan Development Bank in highlighting advantages of doing business in East Africa, she did not shy away from Rwanda’s recent turbulent history and in fact implied it was a major factor behind their meteoric growth rate…

The Deputy CEO also explained how innovating and expanding usage of drones not only helped improve their agriculture, but also played a part in health, especially when issuing supplies over difficult terrain…

This as Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, appealed to business communities in Barbados and Rwanda to seize the possibilities afforded by the current mission here and “engage in meaningful business opportunities”.

Senator Cummins highlighted Barbados’ high penetration in solar photovoltaic systems and suggested there’s an opportunity to work with Rwanda and other countries in the Global South to engage in renewable energy commercial diplomacy.

Senator Cummins put forward how a new global construct was needed and suggested it’s now time to begin to frame out the constructs for the existing and emerging growth sectors, where both countries have a competitive and a comparative advantage.

The brief Business Mission from Rwanda was piloted by the Rwanda Development Board, and aimed at fostering collaboration and promoting business, tourism, and cultural opportunities between Barbados and Rwanda. (Edited Text – in part – courtesy: BGIS & B’dos Today)