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There is the possibility of greater cooperation between Rwanda and Mauritius in the field of data protection. The two countries are one among a few nations in the continent, which are focussing on this subject, as digitization is growing
There is the possibility of greater cooperation between Rwanda and Mauritius in the field of data protection. The two countries are one among a few nations in the continent, which are focussing on this subject, gaining public attention as digitization is growing.
Recently, www.trendsnafrica.com has run a story of DataProtection Commissioner of Mauritius, Mrs. Drudeisha Madhub visiting Rwanda to discuss the details of the collaboration between the Data Protection Authorities of both countries.
This visit was significant in more than one way. First, it is an indication that data protection is engaging the attention of African countries, which is an important part of nurturing democratic norms and traditions. Secondly, as more and more countries are moving towards adopting e-commerce as a credible way for transactions, there should be a focus on data protection since it would shore up the confidence of the people to move towards transacting digitally. There is a lurking fear among many digital transactions for they fear it would lead to a breach of their personal data if they (data) land up in the hands of unscrupulous persons and agencies.
Thirdly, there is an increasing focus on foreign direct investment to accelerate the tempo of industrialization in the continent, particularly when the development agencies like AU and AfCFTA are laying undue importance on FDI to supplement the scant investments being mobilized from domestic sources. Investments flow only to destinations where data protection is ensured and any violation of that attracts punitive actions. The ultimate aim of the countries in the region is to have an OECD-compliable investment norm not only for ensuring transparency in transactions but also for motivating discerning investors in parking their funds in countries. Almost all countries in the region need massive investments be it for infrastructure development, mining, industrialization, or any other economic activities.
It augurs well that countries like Seychelles, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, etc are laying stress on these aspects. It is important that other countries follow suit in the interest of attracting more investments.
During her visit, Mrs. Drudeisha Madhub reported having shared Mauritius’s experience of implementing personal data protection and privacy legislation within the banking and financial sector. She met representatives from The National Bank of Rwanda, Kigali International Financial Centre, Rwanda Bankers Association, Bank of Kigali, and the Rwanda Information Society Authority, among others, to discuss the matter and to gain insights into the rules and regulations governing the legislation. Mauritius is one of the first countries to give stress to data protection, the Indian Ocean Island’s experience would be relevant not only to Kigali but also to the growing number of countries in the region, which are rolling out plans to implement rules to protect the data, be it private or public.
Rwanda’s 2021 Personal Data Protection and Privacy Law stipulates that the collection and processing of personal data require the consent of the person who shares the data and cast obligations on the part of the organization, which collects the data. It requires rules to be put in place to ensure the protection and guarantee privacy of personal data.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/danube-home-group-to-expand-its-footprints-in-mauritius/
https://trendsnafrica.com/mauritius-leads-in-e-commerce-in-africa/
The visit comes after Rwanda passed the Personal Data Protection and Privacy law in October 2021 and established the Data Protection Office in March 2022. This will be fully implemented by 15th October 2023. One can only hope that many other countries in the region follow suit to make the region as a whole attractive to investors.
