As more Rwandans embrace online shopping through platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, WhatsApp, Amazon, Kikuu, and others, cases of fraud are on the rise. Customers often pay for goods they never receive, receive counterfeit products, or are blocked by sellers after sending money. To address online fraud, the government says that the solution lies not only in cracking down on scammers but in building a secure and legal digital trade ecosystem. “What we are seeing as a problem is caused by the lack of solutions. For example, if a country doesn’t have official borders, it would be difficult to deal with illegal migrants,” Prudence Sebahizi, the Minister of Trade and Industry, said. As a result, the minister revealed to The New Times that the government is preparing a digital trade policy and strategy aimed at establishing a regulated environment for online business. “As a government, we are introducing a Digital Trade Policy that will provide a legal ecosystem where businesses can operate without risks,” he said. While scams occur across the world, the minister noted that Rwanda’s approach will go beyond policing individual cases. “The goal is to create a safe digital economy through a combination of laws, secure technologies, institutions, and public awareness. We encourage digital trade through licensed platforms that are KYC-certified. Some of these measures are already in place, we just need to ensure a coordinated approach,” he explained. Know Your Customer (KYC) is a process that financial institutions and businesses use to verify the identity of their clients, especially when onboarding new customers. Sebahizi highlighted that building public trust in online trade will take time, but assured that Rwanda is committed to creating an ecosystem where buyers and sellers can operate without fear. Beyond updating laws on e-commerce, cybercrime, and data protection, the minister said the government is taking further action to build an ecosystem where buyers and sellers operate without fear. This includes promoting the use of secure, interoperable digital IDs to ensure that both sellers and buyers can be verified, and establishing a national cybersecurity operations centre and enforcing international standards. The government is also integrating encrypted, traceable payment systems such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), among other efforts.
