Parliament approves new electricity, water body

KIGALI - The Lower Chamber of Parliament has passed a law scrapping the Rwanda Electricity Corporation and Rwanda Water and Sanitation Corporation (RECO/RWASCO) replacing them with the Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA), The New Times reports. RECO/RWASCO emerged out of former ELECTROGAZ with one body in charge of electricity and the other, water and sanitation but under the same administration. According to the law, the body will be in charge of energy, water and sanitation and will be autonomous on all levels of administration. The Law also stipulates that the new body will merge all activities within a period of one year. In general, EWSA will be charged with coordinating, studying, developing and valuing all programs on energy, water and sanitation. The body will also be charged with controlling the infrastructure of energy, gas, petroleum , water and sanitation and ensuring that water and petroleum products are well stored for future use in a secure area. The EWSA will also cater for recycling waste and preserving rain water both in urban and rural areas.The Lawmakers also passed a law establishing the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA). RTDA will be in charge of regulating and following up day- to-day activities in the transport sector, and also constructing and maintaining roads, airports, water ways and railways in the country. The agency will be instrumental in managing the transport infrastructure in the country and keeping it in good shape. It will also conduct surveys on the possibility to use some water bodies as a means of transport. The government’s decision to put in place this body came as a means to relieve the Ministry of Infrastructure of the burden of many responsibilities. The ministry will now be left with the work of formulating policies and play a supervisory role while the body will be implementing the policies. The law however excludes agencies like ONATRACOM and Rwandair Express because of possibilities of privatizing them. Ends

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Parliament approves new electricity, water body