Customers applying for electricity connectivity will no longer have to queue at Rwanda Energy Group (REG) offices for the service after the company launched an online platform for its services. This, according to management, will ease doing business between customers and the energy provider and reduce time it takes to be connected. The platform is embedded in REG’s upgraded website, which was launched on Tuesday. According to Ron Weiss, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, the energy group is putting in more efforts to reduce the time it takes for people to be connected with electricity. He said that the new website came with some innovations and tools to help customers interact with officials easily and get better services without physical contact. He added that the institution needed to work on and improve technology if it is to achieve the overall target to supply electricity to all Rwandans by 2024. Access to electricity stands at 46.4 per cent, according to official figures. “We want people to do business more easily in Rwanda,” Weiss said, adding; “This will reduce the time from 36 days previously to 20 days to get electricity and will benefit the big customers such as hotels, factories, and health facilities”. The new website is easy to navigate and convenient. It is expected to improve access expropriation information. This is a long-term strategy that seeks to reduce the backlog of cases of people claiming for compensation stemming from loss of their land that was used in electricity distribution process. The website, according to the officials, will soon be used as a platform where post-paid customers would be able to check their bills and make payments online without waiting for monthly invoice. “We want our customers not only to be satisfied by the service we give them but also to easily access these services. Customers should not always come to our offices to seek services, they can also use technology and reach us easily,” Weiss said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
