We cannot afford the consequences of not working hard

Kigali, 8 December 2012

President Kagame has told business people that they are their own greatest asset, and their profit will depend on how hard they work. President Kagame was today addressing hundreds of members of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation during the annual Public Private Dialogue (PPD) meeting at Amahoro mini stadium.

President Kagame asked business people to always speak out whenever they face challenges in the course of running their businesses:

“Dialogue is fundamental in the way we address challenges and find solutions together.You must speak up about challenges you face. This dialogue is not just about increasing private sector profit; it is about transforming our society.”

President Kagame also told the business people that without hard work, focus and commitment business people cannot expect to achieve anything from their businesses:

“I want to thank all of you for your great work but a lot more remains to be done. The struggle we are in today is to continue working hard and to know that nothing is impossible. Our development will be a result of how hard we work and how we collaborate to achieve mutual benefits, we must continue to work hard…we cannot afford the consequences of not working hard.”

President Kagame emphasized on the need for skills development, through public-private collaboration.

“We have made it easy for people to start businesses in this country, but the challenge remains the issue of not having adequate skilled people who can competently work and develop businesses. We cannot afford to continue outsourcing skills and we cannot afford to insist on employing unskilled Rwandans. We have to equip our people with skills and it has to be fast.”

President Kagame also emphasized on the importance of people putting together resources in order to create bigger opportunities that cannot be achieved by people working in isolation.

During the dialogue, business people also had the opportunity to share their testimonies, ask questions to the President and share ideas.

The Private Sector Dialogue, initially known as the “Presidential Investors Round Table” (PIRT), is an annual event organized by the private sector federation to give business leaders an opportunity to engage His Excellency, the President and to exchange ideas on issues pertaining to the private sector. This dialogue has taken place over the past five years, and continues to make a positive impact on businesses in the country.