Access, flexibility and retirement security for members of EjoHeza long-term savings scheme are expected to improve once new proposed changes are adopted. On January 28, the cabinet approved a new ministerial order determining modalities for granting benefits under the EjoHeza long-term savings scheme. The reforms are intended to make EjoHeza more supportive during life events, more inclusive for young people and informal sector workers, and more reliable in terms of securing a dignified income at retirement, according to Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). EjoHeza was created to extend pension services to informal sector who are not covered by the mandatory public pension fund, which is also managed by RSSB. ALSO READ: Ejo Heza: Can new savings scheme secure the future of informal workers? The cabinet also approved a draft law amending the 2017 law that established the EjoHeza long-term savings scheme and governs its organisation. What the proposed changes entail: Accessing savings before retirement Under the proposed changes, members will be allowed to access up to 30 per cent of their accumulated savings before retirement, while the remaining 70 per cent will stay invested to support income at retirement. More flexible retirement benefits The reforms also introduce greater flexibility for members aged 55 and above, which remains the retirement age under the scheme. RSSB said it is proposed that the minimum savings required to qualify for a monthly pension will be reduced from the current Rwf4 million to Rwf2 million, a move intended to make pension benefits more accessible. ALSO READ: Activists call for strategies to address gaps in EjoHeza saving scheme Members will also be allowed to withdraw more than 25 per cent of their accumulated savings, including accrued interest, provided the remaining balance is sufficient to support a monthly pension. Under the current law, members aged at least 55 years whose savings and accrued interest reach or exceed Rwf4 million are entitled to withdraw only 25 per cent of the total amount. The proposed changes raise this withdrawal limit beyond this rate. In addition, members who already qualify for a monthly pension under another mandatory pension scheme will be allowed to withdraw up to 100 per cent of their EjoHeza savings, including accrued interest. Commenting earlier on the existing Rwf4 million threshold, Elie Mugabowishema, founder and president of Nsindagiza, an organisation advocating for the welfare of the elderly, told The New Times that the requirement was too high for the most vulnerable and low-income earners. He said that some members could contribute as little as Rwf3,000 per month, or Rwf36,000 per year, which would amount to Rwf3.6 million over 100 years, assuming contributions remain constant. This, he said, made it difficult for some people to reach the Rwf4 million threshold, adding that those able to do so are often businesspeople or relatively well-off individuals. Membership and savings at a glance As of December 11, 2025, EjoHeza members had collectively saved more than Rwf60 billion since the scheme’s launch in 2018. Including generated interest (estimated at about 12 per cent annually) and government incentives for eligible savers, total assets under management exceeded Rwf87 billion, according to RSSB. The scheme had about 4.7 million registered members, of whom approximately 4 million were active savers. RSSB attributed the gap largely to newly registered members who had not yet begun contributing.
