Home Business & TechEconomy Rwanda: Cabinet Appoints New Chief Economist

Rwanda: Cabinet Appoints New Chief Economist

by Jean de la Croix Tabaro
11:47 am

Tea harvesting at Kitabi tea farms in Southern Rwanda. The chief economist will watch over the economy of the country. Tea is among products that earn income to Rwanda

Cabinet has appointed a new chief economist two years to the deadline the country has set to transform into a middle income economy.

Ms. Rwakunda Umulisa Amina was appointed on April 27threplacing Rugwabiza Minega Leonard who became economic advisor.

She was previously senior economist  in the Ministry of Finance where she has been replaced by Kalisa Thierry.

Also appointed was Munyaneza Evode, Deputy Accountant General among other key appointments in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (Minecofin).

Minecofin is the ministry that drives the country economy. It manages the country budget and reviews it whenever needed be.

According to economic experts, the Chief Economist has responsibilities that compels her to watch over all economic affairs of a country.

Particularly, Umulisa will be in charge of representing the country in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) evaluations, assessments of the country and other components that inform decision of the organization in regard to partnership with Rwanda.

The chief economist and the newly appointed civil servants at Miniecofin make a team that is set to support the newly appointed Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Ndagijimana Uzziel and his State Minister Doctor Uwera Claudine who is in charge of Planning.

They come at a very critical moment; Rwanda has set the year 2020 as deadline to transform into a middle income economy. The current GDP per capita of Rwanda is estimated to $ 920.

To conclude on key appointments that will drive country’s economy, the cabinet also re-arranged the board of directors at Central Bank.

John Rwangombwa, Governor of central Bank and his deputy Monique Nsanzabaganwa were appointed board chair and vice chair respectively.

RAB Gets New Boss

The cabinet also made appointments in institutions where the leaders were recently dismissed, apparently for failure to meet basic leadership requirements, mismanagement and lack of accountability.

They have ended a five month interim in the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) where, early this year, Director General Marc Cyubahiro Bagabe was dismissed alongside her deputy Daphrose Gahakwa and Corporate Director Nyirasangwa Violette.

Newly appointed Director General of RAB is Dr Patrick Karangwa, a Biotechnology specialist with a PhD since 2015.

He was previously director general in charge of research and RAB staff who know him at that position say he has a good quality of listening the idea of others, and to encourage new initiatives.

Dr Uwituze Solange was appointed RAB Deputy Director General in charge of animal resources research and technology transfer while Dr. Bucagu Charles is Deputy Director General in charge of agriculture research and technology transfer.

Previously, RAB had one Deputy DG.

Ms Mushimiyimana Pauline is new Corporate Services Division Manager at RAB.

The appointment at RAB were also accompanied by approval of a new law providing on salaries and fringe benefits of researchers of this institution.

News has it that, the existing law had ignored some allowances of the researchers in this institution and this was affecting research.

At the same time, a draft law providing for RAB supervising authority was also approved, to help the institution deliver to the expectations.

In Rwanda Education Board, all the officials that were dismissed in the previous cabinet meeting were also replaced.

At Ministry of Justice, Mukeshimana Béata was appointed Permenant Secretary where she replaces Isabelle Kalihangabo. The latter was recently sworn in as deputy secretary general of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Meeting approved the Budget Framework Paper for years 2018/2019, 2020/2021.