Rubavu, November 13, 2020- The Permanent Secretary of Trade and Industry Michel Sebera chaired a two- day Monitoring Meeting on Operationalization of Cross Border Markets. A number of these have been constructed at various border points including Rubavu, Rusizi, Karongi, Nyamasheke and Burera. These markets link producers to external markets which is essential in reducing poverty across border communities.

The meeting aimed to asses the current status of the full operationalization of CBMs and the challenges within the ICBTs as a result of COVID-19; Understand the strategic intentions of the establishment of the CBMs; Discuss the possible strategies to fully operationalise the CBMs and Identify the pending challenges for all facilities and discuss on solutions to resolving them.

The operationalization of all the CBM has been affected by the outbreak of covid-19 and trade performance with neighboring countries has decreased as a result of no or low traffic movement at the border entries   due to the border closure.

CBT directly benefits the poor and can be a driver for regional peace and is key to regional trade integration.

Informal CBT accounts for a considerable proportion of Rwanda’s regional trade, with exports estimated at US$108.3 million in 2015 and imports of US$22 million.

This is a very different trade balance compared to the formal sector, where Rwanda runs a trade deficit. It is estimated that between 70% and 80% of cross border traders are women, and 90% of these women traders rely on CBT as their sole source of income.

Recognizing the importance of cross-border trade as a major component of business in the country and a particularly important avenue for poverty alleviation with a strong gender impact, Rwanda developed a National Cross Border Trade Strategy. This Strategy sought to align this cluster of trade with trade‑related policies and other existing Government policies focusing on a market‑led approach to expand CBT.