Paul Kagame

====Economy====
{{main|Economy of Rwanda}}
[[File:Kigali2018Cropped.jpg|thumb|Luxurious Kigali under Kagame]]
Rwanda's economy has grown rapidly under Kagame's presidency, with per-capita gross domestic product ([[purchasing power parity]]) estimated at [[Geary-Khamis dollar|$]]2,214 in 2020, compared with $631 in 2000.{{sfn|World Bank (V)|2020}} Annual growth between 2000 and 2020 averaged {{percentage|7.221714286|100}} per year.{{efn|Average of 8.371 (2000), 8.485 (2001), 13.192 (2002), 2.202 (2003), 7.448 (2004), 9.378 (2005), 9.227 (2006), 7.633 (2007), 11.161 (2008), 6.248 (2009), 7.335 (2010), 7.958 (2011), 8.642 (2012), 4.72 (2013), 6.167 (2014), 8.857 (2015), 5.971 (2016), 3.976 (2017), 8.579 (2018), 9.461 (2019), -3.355 (2020).{{sfn|World Bank (VI)|2020}}}} Kagame's economic policy is based on [[Economic liberalism|liberalising]] the economy, reducing [[red tape]] for businesses,{{sfn|Murdock|2010}} and transforming the country from an agricultural to a [[knowledge-based economy]].{{sfn|Kanyesigye|2012}} Kagame has stated that he believes Rwanda can emulate the [[Economy of Singapore|economic development of Singapore]] since 1960.{{sfn|Musoni|2013}} Kagame, as set out in the national Vision 2050 Policy, believes that Rwanda can become an upper-middle income country by 2035, and a high-income country by 2050.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vision 2020 – 2050 – Rwanda Playbook|url=http://hgs.rgb.rw/vision-2020-2050|access-date=2021-12-17|language=en-US}}</ref>

Kagame's economic policy has been praised by many foreign donors and investors, including [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Starbucks]] chairman [[Howard Schultz]].{{sfn|Grant|2010}}{{sfn|Adams|2009}} The country is also recognized internationally for its effective institutions and low levels of corruption.{{sfn|Thomson|2011|p=441}}

Rwanda has also illegally exploited Congolese minerals, which is an important aspect of the success of Rwanda's economy.{{sfn|Grant|2010}}{{sfn|Reyntjens|2013|pp=164–165}} [[Political economy]] researcher Stefaan Marysse estimated that in 1999, 6.1% of Rwanda's GDP came from illegal resource extraction in the DRC.{{sfn|Cassimon ''et al.''|2013|p=54}} In 2013, foreign aid made up over 20 percent of GDP and nearly half of the budget.{{sfn|Reyntjens|2013|p=164}} Economic growth has disproportionally accrued to elites in the capital while rural areas lag behind.{{sfn|Thomson|2011|p=451}} Although the government officially has a policy of [[privatization]], in practice it has increased state control of the economy using corporations with strong ties to the state and the ruling party.{{sfn|Reyntjens|2013|p=165}}

Rwanda is a country of few natural resources,{{sfn|Department of State (I)|2012}} and the economy is heavily dependent on [[subsistence agriculture]], with an estimated {{Percentage|75.3|100|0}} of the working population engaged in farming. Under Kagame's presidency, the [[service sector]] has grown strongly. It makes up approximately half of the country's GDP and is the second largest employer after agriculture.<ref name=":1" /> Key tertiary contributors include banking and finance, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage, communication, insurance, real estate, business services, and public administration, including education and health.{{sfn|Nantaba|2010}} [[Information and communications technology]] (ICT) is a Vision 2020 priority, with a goal of transforming Rwanda into an ICT hub for Africa.{{sfn|Kanyesigye|2012}} To this end, the government has completed a {{convert|2300|km|mi}} [[fibre optic|fibre-optic]] telecommunications network, intended to provide broadband services and facilitate electronic commerce.{{sfn|Reuters (III)|2011}} [[Tourism in Rwanda|Tourism]] is one of the fastest-growing economic resources and became the country's leading [[Foreign-exchange reserves|foreign exchange]] earner in 2011.{{sfn|Birakwate|2012}}

Rwanda ranks highly in several categories of the World Bank's [[ease of doing business index]]. In 2005, after the country was ranked 158th on the Ease of Doing Business Index, Kagame set up a special unit to analyze the economy and provide solutions to easing business.{{sfn|Topping|2014}} As a result, the country topped the list of reformers in 2009.{{sfn|Murdock|2010}} In 2012, the country's overall ease of doing business index ranking was 52nd out of 185 countries worldwide, and third out of 46 in [[Sub-Saharan Africa]].{{sfn|World Bank (IV)|2012}} It was eighth on the 2012 rankings for ease of starting a business;{{sfn|World Bank (III)|2012}} the [[Rwanda Development Board]] asserts that a business can be authorised and registered in 24 hours.{{sfn|Murdock|2010}} The business environment and economy also benefit from relatively low corruption in the country; in 2010, [[Transparency International]] ranked Rwanda as the eighth cleanest out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and sixty-sixth cleanest out of 178 in the world.{{sfn|Transparency International|2010}}