The parliamentary committee handling Science related affairs on Wednesday finalised the draft law establishing the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA). Next is passing of the Bill by Parliament, paving way for the creation of the Agency.

The government tabled the Bill to form RISA, an agency to co-ordinate and implement ICT initiative and projects.

"This agency is about the transformation of people’s lives using ICT,” said Gordon Kalema, the Director General for e-government services coordination at the Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT).

Kalema, and Regis Gatarayiha, the head of ICT department at the Rwanda Development Board, on Wednesday worked with members of the parliamentary committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth to finalise the RISA draft law before it is presented again before the lower chamber of Parliament, where the officials hope it will be readily approved.

"There is urgency for this law to be approved because it’s now three years from Vision 2020 deadline, when the country is expected to be a knowledge-based economy,” Kalema told The New Times in an interview.

Once instituted, he explained, RISA will help the government to fast-track the implementation of initiatives laid out in the country’s Smart Rwanda Master Plan.The master plan, adopted by Cabinet in November last year, outlines a five-year ICT implementation framework for the country that took effect beginning this year. The plan focuses on digitising the economy and positioning ICT as one of the key exports of the country by prioritising research and investments in that area.

The Smart Rwanda Master Plan drew orientation from the Smart Africa Manifesto that was launched during the inaugural Transform Africa Summit in Kigali in October, 2013.

At the summit, Heads of State and government present adopted a Smart Africa Manifesto, which puts the ICT sector at the centre of socio-economic development and transformation.

The Smart Rwanda Master Plan seeks to build on previous achievements under the country’s National Information and Communication Infrastructure plans drafted and implemented every five years since 2000. These plans have guided the ICT sector strategy in Rwanda.

Under the new plan, it is expected that increased innovation and mainstreaming of ICT across multiple economic sectors will drive more productivity and expand Rwanda’s export base, especially through business process outsourcing and creative industries.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw