For Concessa Uwayezu, an accountant at Rwamagana Leaders School with over three decades of experience, the launch of 'Ishema', a newly introduced digital platform for payroll tax and social security declarations, marks a turning point in how employers fulfill their obligations.

"This is a game changer,” she says, describing how 'Ishema' replaces weighty manual processes with a fast, multilingual, user-friendly interface. "It takes just five minutes. It is available in Kinyarwanda, English, and French. And if you make a mistake, the system shows you exactly where to correct it.”

Uwayezu, who has been filing salary declarations since 1989, notes that she was the first employer in the country to use 'Ishema', developed collaboratively by the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) and Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).

Officially launched on May 22, the platform embodies the principles of "Zero Paper, Zero Trip” an end-to-end digital service that eliminates the need for physical documents and office visits.

A one-stop solution for payroll compliance

According to Lionel Ngendakuriyo, Chief Technology and Information Officer at RSSB, 'Ishema', which means "pride” or "dignity” in Kinyarwanda, is the Next Generation Contribution Engine, designed to simplify the way employers declare and pay mandatory contributions.

"This platform significantly reduces errors, eliminates the need for multiple payroll formats, and slashes processing time,” he explained. "Employers can now focus on running their organisations rather than battling administrative bottlenecks.”

For HR officers like "Jeff,” a fictional example Ngendakuriyo used to illustrate the typical payroll process, 'Ishema' replaces what used to be days of compiling Excel sheets, calculating deductions, and understanding complex tax rules with just one file and five minutes of effort.

Public institutions benefit even more. Since 'Ishema' is fully integrated with the government’s payroll system (IPPS), HR officers no longer need to manually file declarations. Payments and records are automatically reconciled, eliminating mismatches and unallocated funds issues that have long hindered timely social protection benefits.

Ngendakuriyo said that the impact is measurable. Manual processing steps have been reduced from 23 to just two. Processing time for maternity leave reimbursements, once taking up to 63 days, now takes less than 30 and the entire process is digital.

"Ishema saves 90 minutes per payroll file every month,” said Ngendakuriyo. "

This is what digital transformation at scale looks like and it is all "Made in Rwanda,” developed by a local team proudly known as the Digital Factory.

However, the journey does not stop here. The RSSB and RRA plan to expand the platform’s capabilities even further.

Soon, employees will receive real-time SMS or email notifications confirming their employers’ payroll declarations, just like mobile banking alerts. Integration with private sector HR systems via APIs is also underway, promising a future where declarations are not only digital but also entirely automatic.

"By July, we expect more employers if not all in the country to be onboard,” Ngendakuriyo added. "Already, more than 11,000 have migrated, contributing to the Rwf 865 billion collected so far through Ishema.”

A government wide effort

Speaking at the launch, Regis Rugemanshuro, CEO of RSSB, hailed 'Ishema' as the first of many digital solutions aimed at reshaping public service delivery.

"We still love our members and partners, but thanks to this system, they won’t need to come to us anymore,” he said. "We’re saving trees, the environment and most importantly, time, the one asset no one can recreate.”

RRA Commissioner General Ronald Niwenshuti emphasised that Rwandan experts developed the platform entirely in-house.

"This is not an outsourced solution,” he said. "We built this for Rwandans, to help them focus more on growing their businesses instead of travelling or dealing with paper filings.”

He added that 'Ishema' would reduce operational costs, eliminate revenue leakages, and ease the burden of recurring taxpayer queries. "And because it’s built here, we have full control and flexibility. Any glitch will be fixed swiftly without the cost of foreign vendors.”

More than just technology, a public service transformation

Christine Nkulikiyinka, Minister of Public Service and Labour, described 'Ishema' as a "powerful symbol” of what can be achieved when government institutions collaborate towards a shared vision.

"This is more than a technical upgrade. It’s a transformation in how we serve our people and support our workforce,” she said.

She emphasised that 'Ishema' aligns with Rwanda’s broader national goals of creating decent jobs and expanding meaningful social protection.

"In today’s digital world, fragmented systems cost us time, money, and public trust,” she said. "With Ishema, we now have a unified digital platform that enhances compliance, integrates with payroll systems, and offers trustworthy data for long-term planning.”

Calling on all employers, public and private, she urged them to embrace 'Ishema' not just as a tool, but also as a commitment to transparency, accountability, and improved labour rights.