Kigali, July 14, 2023, there has been launched Rwanda Institute of Quantity Surveyors that is expected to be useful and fruitful for the construction sector as well as a profitability to Rwandan population in having infrastructures of good quality.
As addressed by the representative of the Auditor General’s office, Rwanda Institute of Quantity Surveyors (RIQS) is a very useful tool in boosting the sustainability of the Rwandan infrastructure, but also it is a tool to help the government in saving a lot of money through as the institute strive to ensure that efficient planning and management of construction costs and contracts is adhered to. This professional practice will attract reforms in infrastructure sector set up and it is expected to attract more construction investors, private or public clients, since the Quantity Surveyors will assist them in getting value for their money.
According to QS Charles Lugira, Chairman of the Rwanda Institute of Quantity Surveyors (RIQS), this organization is going to help construction practitioners to work professionally as the Quantity Surveyor will enforce a clear determination of scope for construction works, hence clients will be privileged to have a prior advice on the due clarity on the other reports submitted by other professionals such as architects, structural Engineers, MEP Engineers. This early advice to the client will assist client in making informed decisions. He also added that, the Government, being the major client of infrastructure sector, will benefit from the Quantity Surveying profession as the issues related to construction costs and contracts in this sector are expected to be reduced at a large.
“This is an Institute that comes at a right time of need, it brings many good innovations in the industry, construction professionals are reminded that, if the budget for construction project is well prepared, it should be respected during project implementation, that is why attention should be made in preparation of construction budgets, evaluation of prices for tenders for works, and even the monitoring of the budget during construction stage should be enhanced. A trail of annual reports of Auditor General of state finance indicates persistent cases of cost overruns on various construction projects, this may be attributed to the fact that the planning and management of construction costs are being done by people who don’t have enough capacity to do so” said QS Charles Lugira.
QS. Charles Lugira reported that Quantity Surveyors have been operating under the Rwanda Institute of Architects (RIA) as a chapter, where it was difficult to advance the practice of the QS profession. It is also to note that Quantity Surveyors have been working under the supervision of either Architects or Engineers. This practice could not allow a Quantity Surveyor to freely address all concerns regarding architectural and engineering work that affect the aspect of project cost. Consequently, client were at a risk of validating inadequate designs with cost estimates mainly based on assumptions or based on provisional sums. He also reported that, the fact that a Bill of Quantity is not considered as a key document while submitting application for construction permit, it gives look holes in poor definition of scope of works. As a result, the Bills of Quantities used in many tenders for works are found sub-standards, being part of contract documents for works, such sub-standard BoQs generally results in disputes related to payments, variations etc.
“Although there were not many, Quantity Surveyors were there even before 2013 but they were working under the association of architects. In March 2022, during a courtesy visit of the Africa Association of Quantity Surveyors (AAQS) in Rwanda, the Honorable Minister of Infrastructure confirmed that we should also establish a Quantity Surveying Institution in Rwanda. Today we have established it. It’s time to separate the tasks of professionals in the built environment, let’s say an architect does this, an engineer does this, and a quantity surveyor does this, a Land Surveyor does this, an Environmentalist does this, a Property Valuer does this, an urban planner does this etc. The other thing that I request my colleagues and myself is maintaining ethics of the profession. What we can assure Rwandans is that the resources invested by the government will not be lost in vain.”
QS Frederic Nyaminani, RIQS Vice- Chairman, said “although Quantity Surveying is treated as a new profession in Rwanda, usually confused with civil Engineering, the QS provision have been there all over the world and in the EAC region. The quantity surveying profession dates back 19th century in UK and it dates back 1940s in East African Region. In Rwanda, it was established in 2010 at the University of Rwanda (Former KIST), whereby the first pioneers of local Quantity Surveyors graduated in 2013. We highly appreciate the effort of the Government of Rwanda in bringing this profession through advancement of the Quantity Surveying programme at University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology and at the Rwanda Polytechnics, IPRC Kigali and IPRC South”
“In order to minimize the harm that the old law may cause to the QS profession and other undefined professions in the built environment of Rwanda, the ministry of Infrastructure and ministry of environment have recently authorized new professional bodies to provisionally operate in Rwanda. These newly established professional bodies include the Organization of Land Surveyors (ROLS), Rwanda Urban Planning Institute (RUPI) and Rwanda Institute of Quantity Surveyors (RIQS) which is to be officially launched today. It also good to note that, the provisional acceptance of these newly established institutions communicates the government’s step taken to recognize the need and contribution of other professions towards the development of our nation” said Frederic.
The Minister of Infrastructure, Dr Nsabimana Ernest, the Guest of Honor at this event, who officially launched the Rwanda Institute of Quantity Surveyors (RIQS), reminded the members of this institute and other invited guests that they should work professionally and reminded them that there is a lot of work waiting for them to participate in building good and sustainable infrastructure of Rwanda.
He also added that infrastructure section is of a complex nature as it involves various disciplines of specialization. Based on the rapid growth of the industry, the reform should be done to cater for the current market trends and new technologies. He also added that it is absurd to have a so-called consulting firm comprising all professionals but you realize that the company’s team is only civil Engineering and you wonder how they are providing other specialized services. The minister further requested all those involved in construction sector to cooperate in the development of the construction sector and the development of the country as a whole.
“Where construction has reached now, it is required that the construction sector, the infrastructure sector be well organized, if it is the work of a civil engineer, let is be done by a Civil Engineer, if it is the work of a quantity surveyor, let it be done by a Quantity Surveyor, if it is the work of Architect, let it be done by an Architect. The sector is growing very quickly and as it grows it needs regulations. So, you have work waiting for you as the industry gets bigger and you get more work, so all that will happen so that we have the infrastructure we want and have sustainable quality, check it out, don’t hurry up and you will get there and it will be fine” he added.
The Rwanda Institute of Quantity Surveyors (RIQS) has now 69 members who had been licensed by former RIA-QS Chapter and are authorized to check the compliance with professional standardization, sign and certify all works related to Quantity Surveying profession. Having authorized to do so, the institute expect have more than 100 registered members before end of 2023. The industry currently accounts about 800 quantity Surveyors including quantity surveying technicians who graduated at Rwanda Polytechnics. This number is expected to be more than 1000 in year 2025.
