Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) and TradeMark Africa (TMA)’s decade-long partnership to ensure standards and conformity assessment services are at the heart of fast-tracking trade have yielded tremendous results. Aside from reduced time required to purchase Rwanda’s standards from 5.2 days before 2021 to 4.1 hours after automating RSB’s systems, the interventions positioned 20 agrifood enterprises in the country to comply with ISO 22000 Food Management System (FSMS)/RS 184 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), which are vital requirements for food safety. These certifications have been instrumental in the successful implementation of the Rwanda National Meetings, Incentives, Conferences/Conventions and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Strategy.

Local consultants, enterprise trainees, 60 youthful graduates and RSB auditors underwent capacity building on FSMS, HACCP and related Pre-requisite Programmes (PRPs). These efforts ensure that Rwanda is complying with international standard requirements for bodies providing management systems certification, thereby enhancing producer firms’ credibility and confidence in their activities, processes, products, services. This in turn ensures competitiveness at the local and international markets. Visitors to Rwanda can now enjoy safe, seamless and world class experiences at the country’s hospitality establishments. Rwanda Development Board (RDB)’s 2022 Annual Report showed that the country’s MICE industry continued an impressive growth streak and generated a total of $64.4 million from hosting 104 events attended by more than 35,000 delegates.

For more insights, read the Rwanda Standards Journal with an exclusive focus on the partnership between Rwanda Standards Board and TradeMark Africa in advancing standardisation and conformity assessment in Rwanda.