Kigali, 18 July 2014
President Kagame today officially opened the International Conference on Financial Inclusion, organized to mark 50 years since the establishment of the National Bank of Rwanda.
Congratulating the management, staff and stakeholders of the Rwanda Central Bank, President Kagame said the bank was a mirror of Rwanda’s resilience:
“Our government inherited a devastated economy and empty coffers. The bank has mirrored the resilience of Rwanda and its people by safeguarding Rwanda’s economy for the last 20 years and remaining on path of equitable growth and development.”
President Kagame said the Rwanda Government’s goal is to empower as many people as possible to fulfill their potential and lift themselves into prosperity.
“The problems we face is just an opportunity to speed up process towards the future we deserve. Financial inclusion is inseparable from good governance. Institutions must connect to the need of the people. Financial inclusion should be seen as key to pursuit of self reliance.”
The Managing Director and World Bank Group Chief Finance Officer, Badré Bertrand said financial inclusion is a priority by the World Bank group and Rwanda is an excellent example of financial inclusion.
“I believe financial inclusion is a strong recipe of eradicating poverty and accelerating sustainable development. Rwanda is the first nation in sub -Saharan Africa to benefit from the financial inclusion framework and I am confident of the prospects. There is need for innovation and thinking outside the box. Financial inclusion and financial stability cannot be exclusive.”
The Governor of the Rwanda Central Bank, John Rwangombwa paid tribute to the President Kagame’s inspirational leadership which has enabled the bank to achieve many of its goals:
“Thank you for inspirational leadership which shows you value financial inclusion of our nation. Financial inclusion is key for equitable progress. We use this moment to reflect on achievements in the last 50 years, learn from partners to expedite financial inclusion in our country. Our objective is to transform the Rwanda Central Bank into a world class Central Bank.”
The Executive Director, Alliance for Financial Inclusion Dr Alfred Hannig said:
“Rwanda has become one of the most prosperous nations in the continent and this makes it phenomenal considering what Rwanda went through twenty years ago. Financial inclusion in Rwanda is impressive”