Local researchers challenged to take lead in national policy

While Rwanda has benefited a lot from international economic policy analysts and researchers, experts have indicated that it is time to use local research institutions to drive national development. Dr Herman Van Boemmel, a programme manager at GIZ, a German NGO, said international institutions like International Monitory Fund, UNECA, GIZ, World Bank, among others, have for long helped the country in informing policies and driving the economy. “I think Rwanda has done a lot for the past years with the advisory of international institutions of policy analysis and research. We have many of them which are driving policy agenda and providing advisory services to the government, but there’s still a gap. There’s room for Rwandans to take over,” he said. Van Boemmel was speaking to The New Times on the sidelines of the third annual Economic Policy Research Network (EPRN), which ran under the theme, “Rwandan Economy toward Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy.” He said strengthening the economic policy research network in Rwanda would go a long way in building a future generation of local researchers who can guide the Government in driving the national vision. “In Germany, we are used to these research institutions and networks of economists who inform policies. This is the same for many developed countries,” Van Boemmel said. Prof. Thomas Kigabo, the chief economist at the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), said there’s still a gap in policy analysis, pointing out the need to build capacity for existing institutions of policy analysis and research. “The capacity of Rwandan researchers need to be improved technically and also in the way they can get used to conduct necessary research, research that matters for the future of the country in the long run, and research that informs policy-makers,” Kigabo said. Van Boemmel said while Rwanda already has policy policy analysis bodies, there isn’t much work they are doing, adding that most of the institutes lack analysts and economists with requisite calibre. “There’s need to have economists and analysts who are trained in the modern international methods, that understand the emerging technologies as well as the global economies,” he said. Francoise Kayitare Tengera, an economist, said that while Rwanda is economically growing fast, the next phases of development require strengthening institutions of analysis and research. “Rwanda is growing at a fast rate, but we want to make sure that this growth is analysed and researched on so that this can guide policy-makers during the next phases of development,” she said. Role of academia While there’s a lot that needs to be done to build the future generation of researchers and economists, participants reiterated the role of the academia to quickly achieve this. Tengera, who is also the acting Principal of University of Rwanda’s College of Business and Economics, said that the role of academia in the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) is clear. “The role of academia in achieving the EDPRS II is to facilitate the creation of the next generation of researchers, particularly empowering them with necessarily skills and building confidence in them. Universities and other higher learning institutions have a big responsibility of promoting research in science fields, manufacturing and other economic activities,” she said. The symposium was organised through the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research in collaboration with GIZ and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Local researchers challenged to take lead in national policy