1. 2004 Gross Domestic Product?
  2 billions US$
2. GDP per capita?
  260$
3. Total number of towns with population of over 200,000?
  two towns
4. Total number of cities with population of over 500,000?
  one city
5. Total number of population in Capital city Kigal?i
  800,000
6. Total length of national Railway in kilo meter?
  N.A no railway available at this time,
7. Total length of national Roadway in kilometre (this should be standard 4 lines road)?
  total road network 12,000 km
8. Total number of universities and high schools across the country?
  over 14 universities and 504 high schools.
9. Average price of purchasing apartments?.
  Around 30 thousands US$
10. Price of purchasing industrial use land? Price of purchasing factory?
  Land for foreign investors is usually free, will just have to pay fees related if expropriation involved.
11. What kind of projects does the Rwanda Government encourage?
 

Priority sectors for foreign investment:

ICT (information and communication technology)

Tourism

Energy

Agriculture and agro-based industries

Manufacturing

Re-export trade

Mining

Research

Human Resource Development

Infrastructure, especially investment in water.

  Specific projects:
 

- Energy sector (investment in electricity production capacity)

- General Manufacturing (ceramics tiles manufacturing, glass manufacturing, wooden and laminates floor manufacturing, marble processing plant)

- High tech agriculture & and food processing plant

- Agriculture and agro- processing

- ICT sector:

- Telecommunication services provider

- Low cost high bandwidth internet services providing services

- Electronics assembling & manufacturing including but not limited to computer and computer parts assembling and manufacturing plant, mobile phones assembling and manufacturing,

- Mineral sectors (minerals processing for added value export, Rwanda mineral deposit include: Columbo Tantalite/ Coltan, Niobium, Tin and some precious stones.)

- Hides and skin (tanning and leather processing)

- Printing and graphic communication (establishment of high quality graphics designs and printing units capable of handling high quality printing)

  Incentives for these projects:
 

- Flat Company income tax of 10% for foreign investors

- Exemption of other taxes levied on local business enterprises

- Flat 5% import tax on plant, machinery and equipment building

- Tax free externalisation of funds

- Flexible working permits for expatriate workers

12. How much tax is levied for selling commodities and other merchandise?
  18% VAT (Value added taxes)
13. How much tax is levied for selling electronic products produced and assembled locally?
  18% for VAT(value added tax)
14. How much tax is levied for selling merchandise to other countries after being produced and processed in Rwanda?
  none. All good manufactured in Rwanda for export are duty free
15. What about social insurance and benefits for local employees?
  Every employee must be registered and insured with the national security fund.
16. What are the procedures for setting up a company?
 

- Articles of association

- Registration in register of commerce

17. What types of tax should company and factory pay?
 

- Income tax

- VAT

- Property tax

18. How many types of visas are there for people frequently travelling between China and Rwanda ?
What about working visas?
  The standard visa is 3 months delivered by the embassy, once in Rwanda there is possibility of applying for a
six months or one year business visa.
19. What are the procedures for obtaining a visa to travel to Rwanda ?
 

For full requirements details please click
Citizens from USA, CANADA, UK, GERMANY, SWEDEN, HONG KONG, MAURITIUS, SOUTH AFRICA, KENYA, UGANDA, TANZANIA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, and BURUNDI do not require a visa.

Citizens from other countries should get visas from their neighbouring Rwanda embassies or diplomatic missions abroad.

For those living far from Rwandan Embassies or diplomatic mission they can obtain an entry facility by using: www.migration.gov.rw

20. How many international airlines reach Rwanda ? Is there any direct line from Hong Kong ?
  In total there are five international commercial airlines and 2 cargo airlines that fly to Kigali. Convenient flight connections from Hong Kong to Kigali via Nairobi/Kenya
21. How many international ocean shipping lines reach Rwanda ? Which ports do they use?
  Most of international ocean shipping can reach Rwanda through Mombassa, Kenya or Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
22. How many roadways and airlines connect with neighbour countries?
  In total 4 roadways, and 5 airlines
23. How long is shipping from Hong Kong to Tanzania ?
  Usually takes between 17 and 25 days either from mainland China or Hong Kong
24. How long it will take to transport goods to Rwanda once they have reached Tanzania ? What's the charge?
Maximum 2 weeks. The average price for 20" container is 2000$ and 4000$ for a 40".
25. What are the incentives policies for Hi-tech products import?
  The biggest incentive is a zero rate import tax on all IT products.
26. Besides zero rated import duty, are there any indirect taxes?
  No there are no indirect taxes, Rwanda does not use an indirect taxation system.
27. What's average rental price of a high end office spae per "M2" in Kigali ?
  Between 10-14 USD
28. What are the procedures for obtaining 'Investor' status and qualifying for the special investment incentives?
 

An application for investment registration shall be made in writing to the Director General RIEPA and shall contain the following:
(a) A non-refundable registration fee of three hundred American Dollars (US$300);

(b) A clear business plan indicating, among others, the technical, market, financial viability and profitability
ratios of the proposed enterprise;

(c) The commencement date;

(d) Memorandum & articles of association of the company;

(e) The nature of the proposed business activity and level of planned capital investment;

(f) The estimated number of persons to be employed and categories of jobs to be created;

(g) Locally sourced inputs to be utilised;

(h) Prospects of transfer of new technology;

(i) An undertaking to conduct a full Environmental Impact Assessment prior to project implementation in line with Rwandan Laws;

(j) The nature and extent of support and facilitation which the investor seeks from the Agency, including access to industrial and agricultural land, utilities, work permits, visas and others