The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has acknowledged delays in processing mortgage registrations, attributing the issue to a recent surge in demand for collateral filings. In a public statement on X (formerly Twitter), RDB Chief Executive Jean-Guy Afrika confirmed the lapse in service delivery at the Office of the Registrar General and outlined measures to restore efficiency. “There has been a lapse in service delivery,” Afrika admitted. “The One Stop Center (OSC) has seen a sharp rise in demand, with business registrations alone averaging 600 per day, alongside a significant spike in collateral filings. However, staffing and system upgrades did not keep pace.” Afrika noted that both recruitment and system upgrades have now been completed. “The teams are working around the clock to clear the backlog by July 22 and resume normal service delivery by July 24,” he said. “We understand the disruption caused and are fully committed to restoring the level of service you rightfully expect. An official communication will follow shortly.” The One Stop Center, managed by RDB, is designed to streamline business and investment-related services in Rwanda and has been widely recognised for its efficiency in facilitating business registrations, permits, and property-related processes. The slowdown was brought to public attention by communications specialist Ignatius Kabagambe, who noted on X that mortgage registration processes were taking significantly longer than before. “What used to take just two days now takes over ten,” he wrote, citing a source at I&M Bank Rwanda. Kabagambe described the delays as “baffling” and urged RDB to uphold the service standards it helped establish. “Service standards in Rwanda have soared, rightfully so. And when even a high-performer like RDB starts slipping, criticism is not only valid, it’s necessary,” he added. Kabagambe welcomed RDB’s response, calling it a “proactive step” towards maintaining accountability. Social media users reacted to the delays, noting that the sharp increase in filings and business registrations reflects sustained economic activity in Rwanda, while also exposing the need for administrative systems to keep pace.
