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Global Fund is holding a two-day regional meeting in Kigali at Serena Hotel aimed at improving the management of risks related to implementation of programs financed by the Fund.

The meeting is conducted in the realms of finance, procurement and supply chain management, monitoring and evaluation, within an environment that promotes the importance of accountability.

This follows reports about misuse of Global Fund resources in some grants, an aspect that incited debate about corruption in foreign aid and particularly in the Global Fund.

The meeting has attracted participants from west and central Africa, east Africa and Indian Ocean.

Some participants have urged donors to withhold support for the fund till efficient measures are established.

However, others suggested the fund should not be penalized for oversight shortcomings often encountered by many aid programs.

In his opening remarks Samuel Boateng, the Global Fund Acting Unit Director of Africa and Middle East, explained that Rwanda was chosen to host the event due to the prevailing good leadership and the adoption of effectual Global Fund architecture.

Boateng urged participants to recall the resource constrict environment they are working in, and thus come up with better ways of managing available resources and turn the page from Emergency to sustainability.

Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, the Rwandan Minister of Health welcomed participants to Rwanda and requested solidarity in management of Global Fund grants due to the major reason that whenever one mismanages, all are penalized.

She asserted that good leadership, zero tolerance for corruption, legal frameworks for aid management that characterise the government of Rwanda have been key points in the successful management and implementation of Global Fund grants.

Binagwaho invited participants to think of adaptive strategies that can be entirely applied at country level.

The meeting was constituted of workshops, interactive sessions and panel discussions that focused on countries’ perspective of partnership for accountability and risk management.

The sessions were facilitated by Global Fund staff: Linden Morrison, Dr. Akram Ali Eltom, Christa Arent, Charles Ohene-Nyako, Mariatou Tala Jallow, Nathalie Zorzi, who embarked on subjects ranging from Global Fund reform and future directions, strengthening partnership to manage risk and scale up impact, as well as Accountability and risk management.

“One cent mismanaged is one cent less to save lives!” says Dr. Akram Ali Eltom.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria was established in 2002 as a public-private partnership that aimed at providing considerable financial support for global responses to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria.

As of mid-2011, the Global Fund had strived to provide $22.3 billion to help 150 countries fight the three diseases.

The Global Fund Board has cumulatively approved US$ 868,723,003 to support the Government of Rwanda to fund its HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB) programs in addition to strengthening of its health system, since 2003 to June 2011.

63% of the total amount approved was for HIV/AIDS program, 26% for Malaria, 7% for TB, and 4 % for Health system strengthening.

Rwandan farmers have been encouraged to plant macadamia plants since it performs better in the country’s soils making it a potential source of income for many farmers, hence boosting the economy.

Addressing macadamia farmers in Rwamagana district, Jean-Marie Munyaneza the Horticulture International Market Officer at the National Agricultural Export development Board (NAEB), noted that if macadamia is planted in plenty it would overtake the sales of other cash crops like coffee and tea.

In Rwanda,the planting of macadamia nuts was introduced in the year 2006 and some farmers have started harvesting yet getting market for the nuts seems to have discouraged some.

However, Freshco Rwanda limited a local company is willing to buy the harvested nuts. The company’s country director Peter Karanja encourages farmers to plant more macadamias since there is high demand both local and global.

“More people are interested with this nut partly because due to its health advantages, it doesn’t have cholesterol fats for instance and its proteins has also been proved to be beneficial for our health,” he remarked.

Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, the Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda People’s Defence Forces is on a three day working visit to Rwanda. His visit aims at strengthening the collaboration and cooperation that already exist between the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).

Gen.Aronda arrived in Rwanda 18 October, 2011 accompanied by Brig Gen Otema, 4 Div Comdr and Col Joseph Musanyufu, Chief of Integrated Resource Management Information Systems and Chairman of Wazalendo Sacco.

On 19 October 2011, Gen. Aronda, inspected a Guard of Honor mounted by Rwanda Defence Forces and held meetings with RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen Charles Kayonga. The CDF later paid a curtsey call on the Minister of Defence, Gen James Kabarebe.

Gen. Aronda and his delegation, accompanied by Lt Gen Ceaser Kayizari, the ACOS and RDF Generals and Senior Officers will visit Gako Military Academy where they will receive briefings and tour RDF Bn preparing for PSO.

The visit follows the 9th Session of Rwanda-Uganda Joint Permanent Commission held in Kigali from 27-28 July 2011, and the state Visit of H.E President Museveni to Rwanda from 29 July to 1 August 2011.

Gen. Aronda will Friday attend the opening of EAC CPX Ushirikiano Imara at Rwanda Military Academy Nyakinama in Musanze.

World Bank Country Manager in Rwanda Omowunmi Mimi Ladipo has just congratulated Rwanda upon another success in doing business.

Ladipo was speaking at the launch of ease of doing business findings compiled in one report titled ‘Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World’ Report which was jointly done by World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC).

In a teleconference and press briefing at World Bank/IFC offices in Kigali this Thursday Ladipo who was accompanied by high profiled Rwandan government officials, announced that Rwanda had emerged 45th country in ease of doing business among 183 countries across the world.

In a middle of applause, Ladipo also said that Rwanda had scooped the 3rd position in Sub-Saharan Africa following South Africa and Mauritius respectively.

Last year, Rwanda had been ranked 58th country in ease of doing business but the new report had indicated that it was on the 50th position which made the Minister of Trade and Industry Francios Kanimba not hold his breath to ask.

Responding to the question from the Minister’s question, World Bank’s official from Washington DC said the new positioning of Rwanda from 58th to 50th was due to new parameters used in this new report which made researcher and analysts fix them in the last year’s survey which consequently put Rwanda in the 50th position.

Despite major reforms Rwanda has earned in doing business, it is still failing largely in delaying contracts(39th) where it has not changed at all, dropping in resolving Insolvency from 163 last year to 165 this year.

Other parameter Rwanda is still failing include protecting investors dropping from 28 last to 29th this year, while registering property falling by 20 positions from 41st last year to 61st this year and fallin by 3 points in dealing with construction permits from 81st position last year to 84th position this year.

However among 10 indices measured, only three of them Rwanda performed very poorly in t5he ranking of Sub-Saharan African countries including dealing with construction permits (13th ), trading across borders (31st ), 36th out of 38 countries in resolving insolvency while the rest of indices performing below 10 indices.

The report has shown that there has been a major progressive reform in doing business for over 43 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In general the report says the pace of regulatory improvements has picked up across Sub-Saharan Africa and for the past six years, a third of the region’s economies made the improvements to the regulatory climate for domestic firms.

Between June 2010 and May 2011 alone, 36 of 46 governments in the region implemented reforms in at least one of the ten indices in the report.

Meanwhile, other countries in East African Community (EAC) bloc fared well as Kenya ranked the 9th in Sub-Saharan Africa hence the 2nd to Rwanda in EAC, then Uganda on 12th and Tanzania 14th positions respectively.

For the last four year, Mauritius has been beating the rest of Sub-Saharan African countries and being on the 23rd position on Global ranking.

Singapore retained its position as the friendliest place to do business in the world, followed by Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Others in the top 10 were USA, Denmark, Norway, UK, South Korea, Iceland and Ireland, respectively.

The report has indicated that governments in 125 economies out of 183 measured implemented a total of 245 business regulatory reforms — 13 percent more reforms than in the previous year.

Unconfirmed reports from a Libyan Television say Muammar Gaddafi has been captured and that is in a critical condition and the head of his armed forces has been killed.

More than 300 officers from the EAC Partner States Defense Forces are in Rwanda to take part in a joint command post exercise due to open Friday 21 October 2011.

The exercise codenamed ‘Ushirikiano Imara’ (loosely translated as Firm Cooperation) will be conducted at the Rwanda Military Academy at Nyakinama, Musanze District from 21-27 October and will involve civilians and military personnel.

It is meant to practice participants from the Partner States’ Defense Forces in the planning and conduct of peace support operations, counter terrorism, counter piracy and disaster management.

Brigadier General Salvator Nahimana, Chair of Defense Liaison Officers at the EAC Secretariat says the purpose of the command post exercise is to improve the capabilities of the Partner States’ Armed Forces to combat complex security challenges.

It will also seek to harmonize the working relationships and improve military interoperability between the EAC Partner States’ Armed Forces, Brig. Gen. Nahimana adds.

Furthermore, Ushirikiano Imara is expected to foster cooperation among the EAC Partner States and to enhance collaboration between the civil authorities in the Community and international organizations.

EAC Partner States’ Defense Forces regularly conduct joint military exercises aimed at deepening cooperation in defense amongst the bloc’s member states, with similar exercises previously held in Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.

These exercises are underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Defense which lays down four areas of cooperation namely: military training; joint operations; technical assistance; and visits (including sporting exchanges and range competitions as well as visits by the Chiefs of Defense) and exchange of information. The MoU was signed in 1998 and revised in 2001.

Rwanda has been appointed to lead the proliferation of illegal illicit small arms and light weapons in great lakes region for two years.

According to Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana, Rwanda was chosen due to her clear political will to address problems posed by the proliferation of illegal small arms.

Other reasons included relentless efforts to destroy illegal arms, peacekeeping role in different countries and Rwanda’s annual financial contribution to Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA).

“We will get on a comprehensive campaign to fight the problem posed by these arms across this region,” Harelimana said.

The idea is that the post-Cold War era, most African or elsewhere war ravaged areas, nations should dump their arsenals and no man should posses Soviet-designed Kalashnikoves, AKM automatic guns commonly known as AK-47s illegally.

In a press conference, Harelimana said Rwanda appointed by ministerial council meeting of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) from 15 eastern and central African member states.

Harelimana says that since 2006, Rwanda has destroyed more than 32,000 illicit small arms and light weapons.

In 2009 UN member states endorsed a resolution to negotiate ATT, a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms.

The Treaty is being negotiated in a series of preparatory committees leading up to a negotiating conference scheduled for 2012.

It is estimated that between 500,000 and one million illegal small arms and light weapons are in circulation in East Africa.

Some 300,000 to half a million people around the world are killed each year by small arms and light weapons. They are the major cause of civil casualties in modern conflicts.