When the immigration department announced the new online visa payments for foreign travelers to Rwanda, it was yet another milestone in opening up our borders. It is not just a matter of easing travel to our country; it has a much deeper focus on economic development by encouraging seamless service delivery coupled with modern infrastructure in many domains. While the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration has always been a pioneer in excellent service that resounds beyond our borders, it was not an act of nature. It was a result of deliberate strategies to drive the economy using the best in technology, innovation and attracting development-driven investments. 20 years ago, coffee and tea exports were the mainstay of Rwanda’s economy, but that was a risky undertaking that depended mostly on errant global commodity temperatures and unreliable weather patterns that could make or break the bank. Today, it is a different story. Long are the days when the country’s fortunes were decided by the unpredictable world coffee and tea prices. Now it is a matter of embracing and harnessing technology to accompany the country’s road to sustainable and knowledge-based development. From 2010, that policy has paid dividends to the extent that traditionally silent production areas such as the service sector now accounts to 47% of Gross Domestic Product, outclassing agriculture (32%) and the new kid on the economic block, manufacturing, which now contributes a commendable 15%. All that is thanks to new technological approaches to the country’s economic empowerment, and the sky is the limit. The immigration department has always been ahead of the pack in adopting technology to improve service delivery. Other sectors could pick a leaf from there, especially by fully utilizing the new service delivery portal, irembo (www.irembo.gov.rw). The gauntlet has been thrown, a challenge for other service driven sectors. It is an opportunity to keep abreast with technological advancements and no one should be left behind.
