Amman, July 29 (Petra) -- Jordan and Rwanda explored ways to expand cooperation between investors operating in Jordan's free zones and their Rwandan counterparts.
In a meeting with Rwandan Ambassador to Jordan James Ngango on Wednesday, Vice chairman of the Jordan Free Zones Investors Commission (JFZIC), Amer Jayyousi discussed investment opportunities across industrial, commercial and service sectors, according to a commission statement.
Jayyousi, speaking in the presence of JFZIC's several board members, said the meeting gave Jordanian investors "direct insight" into Rwanda's market, including investment legislation, production costs, energy, telecommunications, land and construction, as well as fund transfer mechanisms and foreign investment protections.
He said Jordanian investors bring expertise in sectors with "strong potential" in Rwanda, including mining and crushing equipment industries, electrical manufacturing, logistics and storage services, food and agricultural industries, and information technology services.
Additionally, Jayyousi called for "broader" meetings between Jordanian investors and Rwandan private-sector and investment officials to facilitate information exchange, address practical questions and explore joint ventures or the establishment of branches for Jordanian companies in Rwanda.
For his part, Ngango said Jordan's "well-established" institutions and "advanced" industrial, investment and regulatory expertise make cooperation with the kingdom a priority for Rwanda, which is seeking to benefit from Jordanian expertise, knowledge transfer and investment.
Referring to "high-level" attention for bilateral relations, he cited role of King Abdullah II's 2024 visit to Rwanda in strengthening ties and opening the door to expanded economic and trade cooperation.
Ngango said Rwanda has streamlined its business registration procedures, which allowed investors to register a company electronically from abroad within about six hours, either as a wholly owned entity or through partnership with a local investor.
He said Rwanda offers tax incentives and exemptions that vary by project size and nature, sometimes extending for years for qualifying projects, adding that Rwanda needs investment and technical and industrial expertise, not just capital.
Rwanda has two special economic zones, Ngango said: One in the capital, Kigali, covering manufacturing, storage, information technology and technical education, and another focused on agricultural processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and green energy.
He pointed to additional opportunities in financial and banking services, agricultural processing, pharmaceuticals, and mining and energy, noting that Rwanda's market, though limited in size, serves as a gateway to the East African Community, a bloc of about 200 million people.
On future steps, both sides agreed to maintain contact and explore holding a broader meeting bringing together Jordanian investors with Rwandan private-sector and investment representatives.
This vision also aims to organize a visit by a delegation of Jordanian investors to explore opportunities and build direct ties with Rwanda's business community.
//Petra// NQ
