Friday
August 7
2020

Interview: Rwanda Harnesses Technology to Fight COVID-19, Drive Recovery

In a conversation with IMF Country Focus, Rwanda’s Minister of State in Charge of National Treasury Richard Tusabe explains how his government is leveraging technology and grass-roots networks to fight the spread of COVID-19 and ensure financial support for households and businesses.

What has been the impact of  COVID-19 on the country and what sectors suffered most?

Most of the impact has been on Rwanda’s services sector, which has been adversely affected by limitations on international travel and social distancing measures. The services sector is projected to grow by only 1 percent in 2020 due to lower trade (imports are expected to fall by 7 percent) and travel. Travel to Rwanda has fallen by 70 percent, which has caused a major impact on the tourism industry.

Photo courtesy of Erik Mclean.

Source: IMF News (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Coronavirus, Technology
Tags
digital inclusion, poverty alleviation, tourism