Country Insight - Rwanda

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced that total investment rose by 41% to USD 1.11 billion in 2009, despite the shortage of international capital caused by the global economic downturn. The RDB argued that Rwanda's ranking as top global reformer in the World Bank's "Doing Business" Report last year had boosted investor confidence and helped mitigate the worst effects of the crisis. Rwanda was the first sub-Saharan country to win the award, based on reforms in 2008, including simplifying laws for starting up businesses, increasing shareholder access to information and improving regulations on corporate disclosure, director liability and access to credit.