Grant Polices and Institutions for regional integration and development in Africa: Focus on Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) in Rwanda

Abstract

Grant Policies and Institutions for regional Integration have demonstrated what regional integration means for Africa. It assessed grant policy in the context of regional integration and development in Africa by highlighting the role of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in both Socio-economic development and regional integration of Rwanda. Extensive literature search and review have been used to assess and analyze the measures employed to determine the effectiveness, capability, reasons for failure or success of KOICA grants policy for Rwanda. The results show that regional grants-aid institutions are important in determining the issues, mobilizing resources, providing differential access, mediating interests and implementing policies for regional integration and development in Rwanda. Institutions and policies for grants- aid in Africa are generally weak. This is so because they do not have independent decision making capacities and as such fail to make positive impact in the development and integration efforts, in Africa. Although there are some ineffectiveness attributed to some countries that provide grant- aid, their critics label such aids as harmful, a failure or counterproductive in delivering the avowed integration and development. However, the KOICA’s grants-aid strategy in Rwanda for its socio- economic development and regional integration seem healthy. This success is so because, the policy was drawn up based on mutual understanding and respect for Rwanda’s national development plans, Vision 2020 and Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS I and II). KOICA programs in Rwanda have focused on improving assistance effectiveness by linking Korea’s development experience and comparative advantages to the developmental demands of Rwanda, which accelerate economic cooperation and socioeconomic development. Furthermore, KOICA grants-aid policy will enable Rwanda integrate better and seamlessly into East African region and the World Economy through promotion of free movement of peoples, goods, services, capital, labor and technology among countries which Rwanda would wish to partner with, under regional integration schemes.