Under the new framework, quality and safety certifications issued by the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (RFDA), and Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition, and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) will now be valid for five years, renewable upon compliance with regulatory and standards requirements.
However, licenses and permits related to the importation of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices remain unaffected by this reform.
In addition, export permits are no longer required unless mandated by the importing country. Import permits will only be issued for high-risk products, further simplifying the trading process.
To support domestic industries, service fees for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been waived. For large enterprises, the cost of obtaining certifications will not exceed Frw100,000, payable directly to the national treasury via an RSB account.
The Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi, while addressing traders recently highlighted the need to address overlapping responsibilities among inspection institutions, which previously led to inefficiencies and multiple fees for the same services.
'This issue primarily affects cross-border traders, who often encounter such challenges,' the Minister noted. He emphasized that no product will now require inspection by more than one institution. Clear mandates will be assigned to institutions such as RICA, RFDA, RSB, NAEB, and RAB to avoid duplication of services.
Minister Sebahizi also shared examples of fee reductions such as RSB which reduced charges its services from 1,780 categories to just 13, while RFDA streamlined from 276 categories to 20.
Instead of paying multiple fees for inspections, businesses will now pay a single bundled fee, ensuring quicker and more efficient processing.
'These reforms are a step forward in making trade and quality certification services more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective for businesses,' he said.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/new-reforms-to-simplify-quality-certification-and-trade-services
