Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) officials on Monday, January 13 announced that an upgraded building permit management system will be fully operational in May, in line with easing doing business and improving service delivery. The Director General of RHA, Alphonse Rukaburandekwe, assured the lower house’s Committee on Governance and Gender Affairs, that a new version of the Building Permit Management Information System (BPMIS) is designed to ensure that project owners have direct access to the permit application process, not solely relying on intermediaries such as engineers or architects thereby ensuring transparency and helping check corruption or any other unwanted loopholes. ALSO READ: Why Rwanda plans to set up tech to monitor land use He said: “In partnership with Irembo, the upgraded system will provide construction project owners and architects with individual accounts enabling seamless collaboration. Project owners can directly input details for their desired construction permit, submit applications themselves or authorize engineers to apply on their behalf. “The system will also include a comprehensive directory of professional engineers and authorized architects. Additionally, it will enhance accessibility by allowing users to access project information conveniently through their phones, thereby streamlining the process for both engineers and project owners.” Olivier Kabera, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, further explained that the new version of BPMIS aims to tackle critical challenges including urban extension and informal settlements, delays in slum upgrading, human habitation in high-risk zones, damage of public utilities, and the rising expropriation costs tied to urban land development in informal and densely populated areas. ALSO READ: Kigali City to deploy new tech to monitor illegal construction He said: “Faced with growing land scarcity, Rwanda has committed to regulating all construction activities through permitting and inspection services to ensure sustainable, safe and comfortable settlements across the country. The digitization was done through establishment of an online Building Permits Management Information System (BPMIS) under improvement, equipped with features that facilitate applicants to access information, to closely follow-up applications and to be notified on the progress made on them.” ALSO READ: City of Kigali deploys satellite to monitor construction works The new system is being implemented by Rwanda Housing Authority in collaboration with the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation. As announced, the updated system will significantly streamline the permit application process, reducing the duration to 21 days in Kigali’s One-Stop Centers and 30 days in other One-Stop Centers across the country.
