Rwanda launches RNIT Iterambere Fund to boost savings through capital market

  RWANDA, Capital Markets in Africa: Rwanda National Investment Trust Ltd (RNIT), a company fully owned by the Government of Rwanda launched on Tuesday RNIT Iterambere Fund – an open end balanced fund to facilitate Rwandans to have a planned approach to investments and wealth creation.

The RNIT Iterambere Fund is an initiative of the Government of Rwanda that aims at promoting the culture of saving by designing products that suit the various investment needs of the people and further developing the Capital Market.

While officially launching RNIT Iterambere Fund, Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi called on Rwandans to promote savings culture, not only for economic development, but more especially for safeguarding a better and promising future for all.

“Rwanda has created a conducive environment to operate in or to run a business; and this is to call upon all those able to take advantage of this opportunity and promote a savings culture, not only for economic development, but more especially for safeguarding a better and promising future for all” PM Murekezi said.

Premier Murekezi added that once citizens adopt together the saving culture, this allows the availability of money that can be used to invest in profitable projects to the citizens.

Prime Minister also pointed out that RNIT Iterambere Fund is in line with Rwanda’s Vision 2020 objective of transforming the Country into a middle-income country. 

RNIT Iterambere Fund allows investors to combine their exposure in a diversified portfolio of assets both in debt and equity through a ‘One Application – One Amount’. The Unit Trust will enable all Rwandans regardless of their income levels to invest a fraction of their income through the fund.

Moreover it also affords flexibility of investing by choosing a disciplined approach by opting for a systematic Investment plan (SIP), in which investors can invest on a monthly basis either through their respective employer or through a bank standing order. Additionally, the scheme allows joint holding whereby the first holder can get the annual income distribution while the second holder, who could even be Diaspora, invests from abroad.

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Claver Gatete pointed out that in order to achieve the desired investment targets; the Rwandan financial sector requires a wider range of financial products and instruments.

“RNIT Iterambere Fund will enable all Rwandans regardless of their income levels to invest a fraction of their income through Rwanda National Investment Trust for a good return,” Minister Gatete said.

RNIT Iterambere Fund will link every Rwandan to the capital market as the threshold amount for investment is kept as low as Frw 2000 although anyone can invest as per capacity. Moreover, it is open for both – individuals as well as Institutional investors. Every investor who wants to participate in the Rwanda growth story can do so with ease.

“Through one simple investment decision investors can be a part of Rwanda’s future growth as the fund would have exposure to debt assets including money market instruments up to 100 % while having the objective to invest in equity assets up to 30 %. We are confident that the Fund would be able to meet investor expectations,” Mr. André Gashugi, CEO of RNIT said.  

“This is a welcome move as one of the developments under the capital market as it will reach the bottom off the pyramid; those retail investors who were not served so far the Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) will make them a big force and player on the demand side of the stock market thus spurring activity and liquidity: Home grown liquidity on the stock market.  Too many smalls unit holders make a single huge fund to reckon with for sure,” stressed Celestin Rwabukumba, the CEO of Rwanda Stock Exchange.

RNIT Iterambere Fund is an open ended balanced fund, which provides an efficient investment avenue for investors who have a medium to long term investment horizon and simultaneously desire the comfort of availing liquidity in case of need.

This fund is open for investment to Rwandans including Diaspora, EAC nationals and international investors within the permissible legal framework of Rwanda.  RNIT Iterambere Fund allows investors to participate in Rwanda’s growth story with a single investment that in turn allocates assets in a diversified portfolio.

To allow these with low income, the small RNIT Iterambere Fund share is one hundred Rwandan Franc (Frw 100), one can also invest with only 2000 thousand Rwandan Francs but the minimum initial investment amount is FRW 100,000 for investors who need to get their income / return as declared periodically.