KIGALI - The Leadership Retreat today agreed to hand over responsibility for electricity generation to the Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWASA). The decision was part of a renewed drive to address challenges in reaching electricity production targets.

Vincent Karega, Minister of Infrastructure said: For increased effectiveness, EWASA has been tasked with both generation and distribution of electricity, and the ministry will continue to develop policy and oversee implementation. Rwanda cannot achieve our vision for rapid development if we do not urgently and effectively address our energy deficit”.

Rwanda’s target is 1000MW by 2017 and plans are underway to increase production by 25% in the next year.

Energy is also one of the Rwanda Development Board’s priorities over the next 12 months as it works to meet its investment target of $550 million. In order to meet this goal, RDB has chosen energy, agriculture, tourism and ICT as priorities and will target specific countries seeking to invest in these areas.

He also said that the RDB would now be the chief negotiator for all government investment projects and that contracts contain penalty clauses for companies that fail to deliver.

"As RDB continues to lead reforms to improve the business climate and attract more investors, we will also make sure we always get the best deal possible for Rwanda,” stressed Karega.

RDB has also set up a special co-ordination unit to support SMEs, particularly in agriculture, trade and manufacturing.

Ends