The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said it prepares to launch a digital platform that will allow businesses to report and track obstacles they face in accessing public services.

The planned Business Obstacles Alert mechanism will allow businesses to report obstacles they face and enable RDB to track how the challenges are addressed across institutions.

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The platform was announced as RDB, the Private Sector Federation and other government institutions activated the national NAYOMBI Customer Service Campaign on October 8.

The campaign seeks to mobilise citizens, businesses, tourism and hospitality operators and other stakeholders to improve service standards and address delivery challenges.

RDB Chief Executive Officer Jean-Guy Afrika said the mechanism will help the agency centralise communication with institutions involved in resolving obstacles reported by businesses.

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He said RDB has made progress in improving service delivery but needs to go beyond measuring how quickly services are provided.

He cited business registration, which is expected to be completed within six hours, and the Mortgage Clearance Certificate, which has a 24-hour service timeline.

"Responsiveness and predictability are particularly important for businesses and investors, but delays in resolving problems can affect investment decisions, that’s why we need to go an extra mile doing a right thing,” he said.

"At RDB, we see this clearly in our engagement with investors and businesses, delayed response can affect an investment decision, while a timely solution can reinforce confidence,” he said.

He said the Business Obstacles Alert mechanism will give businesses a digital channel to report challenges and allow RDB to follow up on them.

"Business people will be able to register obstacles they face post-business registration, and we will be able to better use individual tools to follow what's being done,” Afrika said.

He said the agency is also working with the private sector to improve service standards in sectors that directly affect how the country is perceived, including hospitality.

Afrika said more than 250,000 services processed since January show that most applications are being handled within the agreed timelines, but the remaining cases still affect businesses.

"That accounts for 95 per cent services that were provided within the standard within which RDB promises to deliver a particular service. But 5 per cent of 250,000 did not get the service,” he said.

Afrika said timeliness is only one part of service delivery, stressing that the quality of communication and interaction with clients is just as important.

"We have to move beyond the timeliness, we have to provide the infrastructure, the resources for employees to be able to do what they do.”

Ignatius Kabagambe, an advocate for better service delivery, said employees need to understand not only what they are expected to do, but why good service matters to the people they serve.

He said technical expertise alone does not necessarily make someone a good service provider and that institutions have a responsibility to train employees on how to interact effectively with clients.

"Going the extra mile should be the minimum. That is what we should do every day, every minute. Improving service delivery is ultimately part of efforts to position the country as a destination for investment, tourism and services,” he said.

"We need to continue to work together as public sector and the private sector because great service delivery is a promise that we need to keep going both businesses and public sector.”