The 7th Annual Economic Policy Research Network Rwanda Conference provided a forum for policymakers, academics, international organizations and development partners to discuss the social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on Rwanda.
Participants from different Non-Government Organization made suggestions on specific short, medium, and long-term recommendations to recover from the crisis.
Senija Maver , President of the project leader Macroeconomics and investment policies in GIZ, applauded Rwandan Government for the good macroeconomics, good policies, strong institutions and good trajectory.
“Government has already put in measures which will help put the country in a good way. It is important to build responsive economies in mechanism and policy to react to such situations in unwanted events. It is better to prepare right now. The digitalization and protection of the environment is also important,” she said.
There are more ideas on how or what policies should be. This affects the economic policies in Rwanda and all the region. There are economic policy failures that should be readdressed.
“We are supporting EPRN in different fields, we are supporting them in doing analysis on information on views and recoveries shared and exchanged because of views made richer. And in the long run the country will come out of this.”
Policy measures that can be considered to help prevent economic deprivation during COVID-19 pandemic are very important for a country planning for its future.
“We want to assess how people in local places can have access to communication tools like telephones and software like use of internet. In schools, we want to see how those that don’t have internet-learning tools can be assisted to learn like others in financially able schools,”Seth Kwizera,EPRN Executive Director said.
They also have advisory measures on industrial policy by advising them on imports of materials on demand and much as helping them plan for the future.
Agricultural sector was much protected in terms of goods and imports, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader Strategy Support Program Development Strategy and Government Division, David J Spielman said.
“During the COVID-19 Rwanda has had little impacts on food security. So the food restaurants and sell points have not been affected. We are looking at how the food system can be protected, by increasing access to solutions, insurance and savings.”
He added that agriculture incurred an estimated 1% negative impacts of the pandemic but to put in more measures on policy would be helpful.
Due to the challenge presented by the pandemic, the meeting was also held in a hybrid format, whereby a limited number of participants attended the conference room in Kigali and the rest online.
In addition to examining the impact of the pandemic on the economy of Rwanda, the conference featured presentations on: poverty; Government policy responses; gender; the role of digital solutions in economic resilience and growth; and the challenges and opportunities of moving to online learning in higher learning institutions in Rwanda.
Nzeyimana Viateur