Kigali, 6 December 2011

President Kagame today received officials from VISA International, led by Ms. Elisabeth Buse, Group President, Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa. The VISA International delegation is in the country to enter partnership with Rwanda with the aim to expand the VISA inc. services in the country.

Talking to the press after the meeting, Elizabeth Buse, Visa’s group president for the Asia-Pacific region, Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa said VISA’s International will aim to lay down a foundation for efficient banking services in Rwanda by providing mobile payments to expand:

“We will focus on training to improve economic literacy and improve banking standards. Studies have shown that electronic systems like VISA improve transparency, guarantee payments and are easy to integrate with new systems that might be introduced in the future. Mobile partnerships are quite important, because everyone including foreigners will find it easy to access bank services.”

The Rwanda Central Bank Governor, Claver Gatete said:

“Under this partnership, Rwandans will not only be able to use VISA cards and PoS but will also access a wide range of products. Using their mobile phones, Rwandans will be able to access finance services from wherever they are. This will help boost economic development because many Rwandans, including those in the rural areas will be able to access financial services with ease.”