Kigali 15 May 2013 - Experts attending the Kigali launch of the Economic Report on Africa (ERA) urged African countries to put into operation, individually and collectively, policy recommendations of the 2013 edition of the report.
The report, “Making the Most of Africa’s Commodities: Industrializing for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation” recommends that a massive industrialization in Africa, based on commodities is imperative, possible, and beneficial.
Members of the diplomatic corps, government officials and private sector representatives, UN staff, academia, members of the press as well as research institutions attended the launch.
“The Ultimate impact of this edition should be measured in terms of how Africa will practically make the most out of its commodities to accelerate industrialization, achieve high sustainable growth, reduce unemployment and inequality and transform its economies for the benefits of an ordinary African” said Abdalla Hamdok, the ECA Deputy Executive Secretary who chaired launch ceremony.
Taking stock of the messages of the last ten ERA reports, Rwandan officials reiterated the need for Africa to “listen and implement”.
“Had we implemented the policy recommendations of the ten past Economic Reports, the continent would have acquired a better story,” said Leonard Rugwabiza, Director General of National Development Planning and Research at the Ministry of Finance.
Implementation of these findings could lead to having a different positive scenario on the continent in the next few years to come”, observed Tony Nsanganira, Chief Operating Officer of Rwanda Development Board.
“Currently, there some countries that are trying to strategically position their economies to implement the report’s findings, but we also see other interventions that do not match with what the continent would want to achieve,” regretted Nsanganira.
He called for a commitment to integrate efforts to better produce positive impacts on population in terms of poverty alleviation and youth employment.
“It is only when we manage to work together as Africans that we will be able to achieve developmental objectives. Individual countries without cooperation and collaboration would hardly achieve sustainable development that we are all aiming to,” said Nsanganira.
With fast growing growth, demographic dividends, rapid urbanization, richness of natural resources, governance gains and improved investment profiles, participants reaffirmed that Africa has exceptional opportunities to industrialize and unleash broad -based development.
“Poverty in Africa is in decline, African innovative applications are affecting structural and social conditions, fostering creation of employment and the continent’s growth is above global average. This is the time for Africa,” stressed Hamdok.
He added that Africa will need transformative leadership with judicious visionary and strategies for long-term development to sustain the ‘new spirit of an Africa on the rise’.
Presenting the case of Rwanda, Rugwabiza praised the report and highlighted its findings and recommendations. He said that many of the recommendations are in the line with the country’s Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS), which propels Rwanda for the next five years.
Another Rwandan official, Leonard Mungarurire, from the Ministry of Trade and Industry portrayed the country’s journey to industrialization. He said that “the country is harnessing human capital and technology to add value to Rwandan commodities such as tea, coffee and mining and moving towards knowledge intensive industries."
Mungarurire said that Rwanda’s Industrial sector has grown by an average of 9.8% over the last five years. Now, the country aims at the target of moving forward to grow this sector by an average of 14% per annum for the next five years. In the coffee sector, the country hopes to increase its value-chain and reach 50% of all produce fully washed.
“Rwanda’s industrial growth is driven by the development of Agro processing sector, construction materials and light manufacturing,” he said.
Mungarurire noted that these efforts yielded fruits as the non-traditional exports now account for more than 50% of total exports compared to just 20% five years ago. The country is now building different infrastructure to take advantage of Rwanda’s land-linked status with the region, rather than focusing on its land locked status.
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