Farmers and businesses in areas around Akanyaru border in Nyaruguru District have welcomed the construction of a modern cross-border market in the area.

The residents told The New Times in separate interviews that they are hopeful the market will attract many buyers and help boost their incomes.

Vincent Rurangwa, a representative of Impuyabongo, an umbrella body of three local farmers’ cooperatives operating in Ngoma Sector, said they had always faced a challenge of lack of infrastructure at the border area to facilitate transportation of their produce to the market.

The farmers grow maize, soya and beans and have started a processing plant in Nyamagabe District which makes a variety of products out of soya beans.

"We used to sell our produce through intermediary agents which greatly affected the prices,” Rurangwa said.

"With this market, we hope to acquire enough space to run our business and interact with our clients which will enable us earn more money,” he added.

We will be having a common place to operate from not far from the border, Rurangwa noted.

Emmanuel Kizima, a businessman and representative of Shirinyota cooperative, dealing in food and beverages, said the market will help boost trade at the Rwanda-Burundi border.

Kizima has been involved with cross-border trade for the last five years. He said lack of enough warehouses and trade space had always posed a great obstacle to trade in the area.

"This is a chance to bring in more products and extend our activities,” he said.

Available figures indicate  that goods worth about Rwf1.2 billion were transited through Akanyaru border in 2012. But officials believe  a lot more go unrecorded, transiting mainly through unofficial channels.

Akanyaru cross-border market is set to cost Rwf1.7 billion and will be financed through Nyaruguru District budget. The construction of the facility was launched last week with the laying of the foundation stone.

It is expected that the market, to be built in two phases, will comprise warehouses, offices, shops, showrooms, a general retail market and a hospitality facility. The first phase is expected to be complete by the end of the next fiscal year (mid-2015).

Authorities in the district believe the investment is necessary for the development of trade between Rwanda and Burundi.

Akanyaru cross-border market is part of a wider government strategy to facilitate trade between Rwanda and neighbouring countries.

Cross-border markets are seen as important in reducing the gap between informal and formal trade, boosting the country’s exports, reducing the country’s import-export imbalance and increasing revenues from cross-border trade.