Between 2015 and 2017, Locus Economica, under contract to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, advised the Rwandan Ministry of Trade and Industry on its SEZ policy and development of industrial parks. We analyzed Rwanda's current legal framework for its SEZs (trade agreements, SEZ Law, investment code, labor law, regulations, policy documents, etc.) and drafted technical assistance papers on improving the investment climate, designing effective fiscal incentives, restructuring the SEZ regulator, and designing a public-private partnership management model for future industrial parks.

Rwanda's SEZ program began in 2011 with passage of a new SEZ Law and the development of the Kigali Special Economic Zone. The Kigali SEZ has been very successful at attracting investors. Still, improvements can be made to the program's institutional structure and tax incentives to ensure the zones effectively meet the development needs of the country and continue to grow.