The government is seeking to increase the contribution of the creative sector to the economy and job creation. According to Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Clare Akamanzi, they are borrowing a leaf from economies that have been able to have up to 10 per cent contribution from the sector. She said that the creative industry can be a major contributor to economic growth as well as in the creation of jobs. “On average, this sector represents 10 per cent of the GDP in countries such as the US and South Africa. This is why we organize forums like the Kigali Audio-Visual Forum so that we can share with you what Rwanda is doing in developing IP infrastructure, building capacity of the staff in the bar association, judiciary, research institutions to create a conducive environment for the industry,” she said. The agency and partners are hosting the Kigali Audio-Visual Forum targeting stakeholders involved in the audio-visual industry from across the continent. Other ways that the government is seeking to drive up the contribution of the creative sector is through the establishment of a $ 30 million Innovation Fund with the African Development Bank. It is also in the process of establishing the Rwanda Film Office project to attract film production activities and development of audiovisual startups in the country, in addition to setting up the Kigali Cultural Village as a market for Rwandan culture. Rwanda Film Office will be a one-stop centre with services such as provision of permits, and incentives as well as a link between different institutions and the sector. This could see interventions such as equipment used in film production can be exempted from taxes. It will also be in charge of marketing the country through hosting different international productions However, for the creative sector to be adopted and have an impact, there has to be awareness on aspects such as copyright laws to reduce unauthorized use of creative works. RDB Registrar General, Richard Kayibanda said that there have been efforts to raise awareness in the private sector on the copyright law to reduce unfair use of people’s creative works. “This drive has led to an increase in registration of audiovisual works as intellectual property from 45 in 2009 to 238 films and 757 scripts in 2019,” he explained. Patrick Nyirishema, the Director-General of Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority said that they are reviewing the current copyright laws to spur further development of the creative arts scene. Richard Iyaremye from the Economic and Financial Crime Division at the Rwanda Investigation Bureau said that much as they are building capacities at all levels of prosecution to handle cases on infringement of copyrights, the general public should learn more of their rights and push to earn from their work.
