The Rwanda Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) has engaged Deloitte to serve as transaction advisor for development of the $35 million Kigali Logistics Platform (KLP) and several other logistic facilities through private investors and operators.

The tender process to hire transaction advisors had started in June 2012 when the Government launched a Request for Expressions of Interest.

The KLP will facilitate efficient cargo handling and distribution within Rwanda, improve services and address logistics costs for users.

A number of projects have been discussed or initiated in Rwanda in the surface transport/logistics sector in support of trade development. These include road works, freight handling depots, bonded warehouses, border posts, and railways. To fully exploit this sector for the advancement of the national economy, the Government of Rwanda (GOR) as represented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) is seeking to:

• identify which of such projects can be viable in the near term,

• define a plan to complete development of such viable projects so as to maximize value to the citizens of Rwanda, and

• implement such plan.

The Government of Rwanda wants to explore the feasibility of the project as a public-private partnership (PPP). The Government of Rwanda thus has secured the services of a consortium of experienced transaction advisors to assist it through the phases of the PPP project cycle.

The tender process to select a private partner will be launched in the third quarter of 2014 and a private partner is expected to be engaged in the first quarter of 2015.

The transaction advisory services are being funded by TradeMark East Africa. TradeMark East Africa is funded by a range of development agencies with the aim of growing prosperity in East Africa through trade.