Rwanda: Trade implications of the 2009/2010 budget
Description
On 10 June 2009, the government of Rwanda announced its budget 2009/2010. The announcement caries the follwowing implications for international trade:
The following products may now be imported duty free:
- Four wheel drive vehicles specially designed and built for tourist purposes,
- Wheat grain,
- Heat insulated milk tanks,
- Asbestos fibres,
- Yarn,
- Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders,
Duties on the following items have been reduced:
- Import duties on rice have been set at 35 percent.
- Import dutes on kerosene stoves have been reduced to 10 percent.
- Imports of trucks of carrying capacity of 5 tonnes and above coming from Uganda or Tanzania will be subject to a 10 percent tarif.
- Imports of trucks of carrying capacity of 20 tonnes and above coming from Uganda or Tanzania will be duty free.
While all these measures are trade liberalizing, the Finance minister also announced an export ban. According to the budget speech, scrap aluminium, steel and copper wires and cables may no longer be exported.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | |
| Was such evidence identified? | |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 1 Jul 2009
GTA Evaluation: Amber
Source:
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. (11 June 2009). EXPLANATORY NOTE TO THE 2009/10 BUDGET. Available at http://www.minecofin.gov.rw/IMG/pdf/ExplanatoryNotetothe2009-10Budget-2.pdf
Government Response:
- 497 reads
