• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Bboxx and other innovative companies spearheading economic development at The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda
• Mansoor Hamayun gave the Prime Minister a tour of the immersive “Tomorrow’s rural home” demonstrating the capabilities of future homes in off-grid communities
• Boris Johnson is launching several major trade deals to promote trade, innovation and entrepreneurship between the member countries – The Developing Countries Trading Scheme and Platinum Partnership Trade Alliance.
24th June 2022 – Mansoor Hamayun, CEO of Bboxx, met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Rwanda to discuss the acceleration of economic development and green investments in the Commonwealth. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the recently concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister announced two key initiatives to promote trade, innovation, and entrepreneurship between the member countries – The Developing Countries Trading Scheme and Platinum Partnership Trade Alliance.
Mansoor Hamayun and Boris Johnson also discussed steps towards achieving net-zero, UK investment in green infrastructure, and the importance of channelling investment through green businesses.
The Prime Minister was accorded a tour of Bboxx’s “Tomorrow’s rural home” which captures the aspiration of a rural family who wants affordable utilities to improve their quality of life. By providing the on-grid experience for off-grid locations, Bboxx enables households to achieve healthier, wealthier, and more connected lives.
The Platinum Partnership announced by the Prime Minister aims to boost trade within the Commonwealth and create five new virtual Centres of Expertise that provide strategic business advice on green growth, infrastructure, financial services, public finance and trade while the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) aims to reduce costs and simplify trading rules for 65 developing countries.
“We welcome the UK’s new investments in clean energy and believe that the two initiatives will be pivotal in enabling innovative companies like Bboxx to drive economic development in the Commonwealth while fostering new markets for British expertise and exports”, Mansoor commented at the event.
The Bboxx CEO also addressed the CHOGM’s Business Forum on the 22nd of June in a wider panel discussion, highlighting the role of affordable clean energy in achieving the Commonwealth’s climate goals.
Speaking at CHOGM, His Excellency President Paul Kagame emphasized the need for a Commonwealth that is on the frontlines of global challenges, “Our special strength is to bring issues into focus that might otherwise be overlooked. For instance, the way that climate change puts the very existence of small islands and developing States into jeopardy or the possibility to transcend size and geography, by leveraging new technologies to create high-quality global jobs for our youth right at home.”
In Rwanda, Bboxx has impacted over five hundred thousand people by electrifying one hundred thousand households and is currently connecting five thousand new households every month. The government of Rwanda has put in place a strong policy framework to support both grid and off-grid access. By 2024, the government aims to provide grid access to 70% of the country and off-grid access to the 30%.
Bboxx believes that energy access is the entry point to unlocking a future that is otherwise not possible. In addition to providing electricity, Bboxx has kicked off sales of Bboxx Cook, a unique pay-as-you-go system to enable Rwandans to access clean cooking affordably. Bboxx will also soon launch Bboxx Connect with a goal to support the government’s plan to ensure that every household has access to a smartphone and internet.
