Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies has approved two loan agreements totalling Rwf279 billion to support government reforms intended to create sustainable employment and strengthen economic growth.
Lawmakers passed two laws authorising ratification of the agreements during an extraordinary plenary sitting on Thursday, August 20.
The agreements were signed in Kigali on August 13. One loan is worth JPY15.022 billion, while the second amounts to €81.71 million. Rwanda is represented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning as the borrower, with the International Development Association (IDA) providing guarantees. Société Générale is the lead arranger and financial intermediary.
The money will be provided through development policy financing, which supports policy and institutional reforms rather than financing a single construction project.
The financing is linked to a wider World Bank Group programme designed to accelerate Rwanda’s structural transformation and create more resilient and inclusive jobs. The programme, aligned with the Second National Strategy for Transformation, is the first in a planned series of three operations.
It uses IDA-backed guarantees to help Rwanda mobilise private capital at more favourable terms while supporting reforms in public finance, infrastructure, education, agriculture and industry.
The programme is organised around three main areas. The first focuses on fiscal sustainability through stronger domestic revenue collection, improved management of public-private partnerships and reforms targeting state-owned enterprises.
The second addresses barriers to employment by expanding broadband access, strengthening the Ejo Heza long-term savings scheme and improving workforce development. This includes remedial education and the Integrated Labour Market Information System, which connects jobseekers with employment opportunities.
The third supports industrial and agricultural transformation. Planned reforms include improving access to production inputs, encouraging private-sector participation, introducing digital livestock traceability and strengthening aquaculture and livestock-breeding systems.
Rwanda has identified job creation as a major development priority as it seeks to expand employment beyond agriculture and promote private-sector-led growth.
Figures from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda indicate that 238,491 non-agricultural jobs were created in 2025, while the unemployment rate declined to 13.4 per cent.
Parliamentary approval clears the agreements for formal ratification and implementation. The financing is expected to stimulate investment, strengthen economic activity and expand access to more productive and sustainable employment.
RADIOTV10