Rwanda’s GBS sector: from compliance uncertainty to operational certainty

Rwanda’s Global Business Services (GBS) sector is growing fast, and growth brings new
compliance questions.

At the CEO Breakfast hosted by the Rwanda GBS Growth
Initiative, our team shared a practical way for operators to answer them.

A 10-point checklist across four key areas

Roger Brugger, Munezero Mutesi Aline and Hategekimana Eulade CPA (R) presented a 10
point checklist built around the areas where GBS operators face the most exposure:

1. Thin capitalization rules: how a company’s mix of debt and equity affects what
   interest it can deduct.
2. Cross-border transactions: payments and services between Rwanda and related
   entities abroad.
3. Transfer pricing thresholds: when intra-group pricing must be documented and
   justified.
4. Payroll compliance: getting PAYE, social security and employee records right from the
   start.

For many operators, these areas sit between their home-country setup and Rwandan
rules, which is where gaps tend to appear.

The real value: the roundtables

After the presentation, participants moved into smaller group discussions. This gave
operators space to map their own exposure, ask direct questions and leave with clear
next steps for their business.

That is how operational risk becomes operational clarity: not through general guidance
alone, but through conversations about each company’s actual situation

Thank you

A special thank you to the Rwanda GBS Growth Initiative, Ariane Masabo Nayituliki and Kayonga Chantal, for hosting. We are also grateful to the Ministry of ICT & Innovation (Esther Kunda), the Rwanda Revenue Authority (Victor Uwayezu and Winnie Kemirembe) and the Rwanda Development Board (Sandra Muganga Umulisa and Elyse Umutangana) for taking part.

Want to review your own exposure?

If you run or are setting up a GBS operation in Rwanda and would like to go through the checklist for your business, our team is happy to help.

Get in touch with us to arrange a conversation.