On Tuesday 22^nd and on Wednesday 23^rd March 2022 there was an official launch BUGARAMA and NYAMASHEKE cross border markets respectively. These two infrastructures were raised thanks to the financial support of the World Bank though the Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project (GLTFP), a joint project implemented by the Local Administrative Entities development Agency (LODA) in collaboration with Rusizi and Nyamasheke Districts under the oversight of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM). The ultimate objective of the project is to facilitate cross-border trade by increasing the capacity for commerce and reducing the costs faced by traders, especially small-scale and women traders at targeted locations in the borderlands. It is then in that framework Rugali CBM in Nyamasheke District and Bugarama CBM in Rusizi Districts have been selected by the Government of Rwanda in consultation with District authorities and local communities.

Speaking at the Bugarama event, the Country Manager of the World Bank, Mrs. Rolande Pryce, expressed her appreciation to the Government of Rwanda for the successful completion of the project and optimistically hinted upon its expected outcome in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction through small scale trade in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

“This is an important milestone for the project. Rwanda will bring tangible development beneficts to a large population. The market has a catchment area that extends to 8 Sectors in Rusizi District and a population of more than 180,000 people, it also handles cross boarder traders from across the country, as well as communities in Burundi and DRC. The World Bank welcomes the role that the project has played in the dynamic exchange between Rwanda and DRC on trade related issues. We appreciate the ongoing discussions with the DRC on the simplified trade regime to make it easier for small scale traders who account for a large share of commerce between the two countries. […]. Trade offers great potential economic growth and reduction of poverty in Rwanda; and this is what the World Bank cares about”, she said.

On this occasion, small scale traders expressed their gratitude and commitment to making business more vibrant than ever. MAUMBUKA MIGENDO Jean, President of the Small Traders Platform of Kamanyora, DRC expressed his profound gratitude to the Government of Rwanda for raising such an infrastructure that is beneficial to both Rwandan and Congolese traders. “We are very thankful to the Government of Rwanda for being so kind to us. We wish to make cross border trade of peace between Bugarama and Kamanyora. Please find us some space onto this market so that we can easily make sales our products”, he said.

On behalf of female traders dealing with pearl and bag handcraft at Bugarama, Mrs. UWINEZA Valentine stated: “We are very grateful to His Excellency Paul KAGAME for his good leadership which even takes care of traders regardless of their small capital. Building up such a trade facility is really an indicator of good governance. […]. We are also thankful to FVA (Faith Victory Association) for having trained us on cross border trading and fighting illicit trade. While running our businesses, we are currently aware of our rights and responsibilities in Rwanda and abroad. […]. We are now committed to making good use and maintenance of this market facility”.

In her remarks, Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Béata HABYARIMANA, extended her appreciation to the World Bank and all stakeholders who contributed to the accomplishment of this trade facility. “We want to acknowledge and thank what the World Bank has done in partnership with the Government of Rwanda. This is not the first initiative we have been going through with the World Bank and I hope it is even not the last one, especially through the GLTFP we have had a lot of projects and all of them supporting cross border trade, supporting not just Rwanda but also the neighboring countries DRC, Burundi and other countries. This is a great partnership we are glad to have with the World Bank, and I would like truly to express on behalf of the Government our appreciation”, the Minister said. The Minister also recommended District authorities and the traders’ management committee to ensure effective and efficient use of the trade facility in a sustainable manner.

As the large majority of these small-scale cross-border traders in Nyamasheke and Rusizi are women, the project will have the potential to impact positively on gender dynamics. It prioritized agriculture and trade in food products by targeting border crossing points that form major bottlenecks in the link between farmers and regional markets. This should contribute to greater food security, higher employment in the agriculture, food processing, and logistics sectors, and improved incomes for many households.

The inauguration of the two cross boarder markets was organized in parallel with the distribution of 500 smart phones to female small cross border traders at the two cross border markets by MINICOM and MINICT in partnership with MTN Rwanda (in line with Connect Rwanda programme), an initiative intended to enhance their trading activities locally and expose them to larger markets in the region.

Operational since End-November 2020, the experience of Nyamasheke Cross Border Market indicates that the facility was welcomed by local communities and people from Democratic Republic of Congo interring the market from Lake Kivu. The occupancy rate is around 90% and it operates every Wednesday, and on average 2,000 people attend the market where 900 to 1,500 cows are sold. At completion, the budget spent on the two markets amounts to 4,983,907,336 Frw (i.e. 2,753,582,073 for Nyamasheke; 1,726,873,205 for Bugarama; and 503,452,088 Frw for studies and supervision works).