Friday 04 March 2016: The tax administration, Trademark East Africa and the business community celebrate positive report on Rwanda Electronic Single Window (ReSW) launched today in Kigali. The evaluation report is the formative evaluation of the design and implementation of the ReSW, conducted to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability and coherence of the intervention in cross border trade within the region and Rwanda particularly. Commissioner General Richard Tusabe said he is privileged to witness the results of the results thanking the development partners for the supports given to RRA by investing in the electronic single window, noting that the population is the very beneficial of that platform. Tusabe stated that the ReSW is very much aligned with the Rwandan vision 2020 which focuses on private sector driven economy, by relying on knowledge based economy in order to transform the country into a middle income economy. Commissioner General Tusabe highlighted the importance of ICT as business enabler, commending " our leadership through our president Paul Kagame the passion that he has for as business enabler," adding that Rwanda Electronic Single Window demonstrates that vision of how to create a conducive, competitive, predictable business environment. The Rwanda Electronic single Window (ReSW) is an example of a successful intervention that has resulted in substantial reduction in customs clearance time and other direct and indirect costs associated with cross border trade in Rwanda. the ReSW has come as replacement of pre-existing central system called ASSYCUDA++ The move towards a digital facility has significantly contributed to collection of import duties and taxes whereby in the first semester of fiscal year 2015/2016, the collection went to 111% of the target. The new system has also eased businesses clearances from the entry port to the country of destination within the East African Community member states, as customs agents and administration can easily share information on goods. Robert Bapfakureraone of the business operators who benefited from using ReSW said they got many benefits including reducing cost, time as they used to work manually but that now everything is online and the speed of doing business has tremendously improved leading to a prosperous business. On her part, Josephine Nyebaza, vice president of clearing agencies association also noted that the system has helped in time reduction and clearing processes, as well as reducing cost charged on services for clearance of imports and exports, adding that it has raised trust between the customs administration and clearing agents. ReSW was launched in 2012 with the support of TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) to a cost of 3.3 million dollars and was meant to ease the way business of Rwanda, simplify process of payment touching imports and exports. Rwanda Electronic Single Window is significantly facilitating risk management in tracking standards of traded goods in Rwanda. Richard Kamajugo TMEA senior director trade environment said: "It improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the country and trigger as a good name as an attractive destination for investment." More than 51 thousand investment incentive applications processed through the ReSW over the last four years. Its implementation has resulted in the reduction of time to clear goods through customs from 11 days in 2011, to under a day in 2015. It has also speeded the process of getting an exemption from Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which required four days and now can be done within half an hour, which has contributed to positive impact for businesses and consumers in Rwanda. it also reduced face to face contact between business dealers, clearing agents and customs officers thus increasing the level of credibility of clearing process by suppressing corruption attempts.