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(...)At the time of the previous Review, more than half of the patents filed were in the fields of optics, pharmaceuticals, environmental technology, and biotechnology.(...)

The long-awaited Plant Variety and Farmers' Right Protection Act, 2015, formulated to protect the country's authority on plant varieties, was to be put before the Cabinet for approval in August 2015. The draft law proposes 15 to 20 years of protection rights to breeders of various types of plants. Farmers would have the right to protect indigenous knowledge regarding the plants' genetic resources, and to benefit from the use of the resources.(...)

(...)The authorities indicated that there was no direct subsidy from the Government to the sub-sector. There is however some cross-subsidization, as low consumers (up to 50 kWh monthly) are charged at rates below the production cost. In July 2018, the electricity tariffs were reviewed (for the first time since 2013) to account for the growing importance of renewable energy and accommodate a KES 11 billion increase in revenue requirement by KPLC. (...)ERC reviewed its feed-in tariffs policy in 2012 to include energy from renewable sources (geothermal, solar, and bio gas generated electricity). (...)A Renewable Energy Auctions Policy was developed and would be used to procure solar and wind projects above 10MW; it is yet to be approved.

Electricity is subject to the VAT at the standard rate of 16%. However, power generation equipment and solar panels can be imported free of VAT and import duties.

The Water Resources Authority is responsible for the regulation, the management, and use of water resources. Under the law, a permit is required for any of the following activities: any use of water from a water resource except for domestic use; the drainage of any swamp or land; and the discharge of a pollutant into any water resource. (...)

Rwanda presents tourism assets ranging from the natural attractions such as the world-famous mountain gorilla in the Volcanoes National Park, 13 species of primates in Nyungwe National park, about 700 species of birds, flora including the orchids, to the unique culture and heritage that make it a desirable destination for any type of tourist.

Rwandan agriculture is still dominated by non-mechanized, rain-fed, subsistence farming. (...)Vulnerability to soil erosion, exacerbated by Rwanda's topography and exposure to periodic weather-related shocks, also remains a major limiting factor. (...)

(...)Local governments serve as the focal point for coordination of multi-sector responses to the needs of local communities. They are increasingly responsible for the delivery of key agricultural sector programmes, including(...)soil erosion control, (...)

Rwanda's agricultural policy aims to bring about a transformation of the sector from subsistence to knowledge-based production, resulting in sustainable economic growth and increased food security. (...)The scope of the updated policy document has been expanded to cover emerging issues, such as GMOs, (...)and organic agriculture. (...)

(...)The BDF continued to administer agricultural financing support schemes, including: credit lines; the second Rural Investment Facility (RIF2) providing grants for investments in post-harvest and climate-resilient facilities in six commodity value chains; (...)