The Government has decided to construct a long-awaited Cyanika border market in Burera District after the investor who had undertaken the project pulled out.

The decision was made last Friday during a meeting that brought together Northern Province officials and different stakeholders.

The meeting had been convened to discuss the future of the project, which, once complete, would boost economic activity between Burera residents and their neighbours across the border in Uganda.

Government has earmarked Rwf1.2 billion for the construction of the market. The investor had pledged to construct the market at a tune of Rwf2.7 billion.

Noguchi Holdings, a Japanese venture capital firm, had promised to build the market last year but started dragging feet in April this year after the East African Community introduced the single customs union where goods would be cleared at Mombasa Port in Kenya.

The investor reasoned that the fact that the traders would not spend much time at the border awaiting their goods to be cleared would reduce economic activity in the area.

However, the government insisted on having the border market and an official said they will soon launch construction activities.

It was also proposed that members of the Private Sector Federation partner in the project.

The Northern Province governor, Aime Bosenibamwe, said the government is committed to constructing the market. He said the money will come from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and called upon the private sector to come on board and co-finance the project.

The border market project will constitute a two-storey market facility, a modern parking lot, and two bonded ware houses among other structures. It will be constructed on four hectares of land.

Officials believe that once complete, the market will ease doing business as it will have a tax authority check-point where goods will be cleared instead of having them transported to Kigali for the same operation.

Samuel Sembagare, the Burera mayor, said they were ready to expropriate people to pave way for the construction works. He said expropriation will cover two hectares while the rest is government owned land.

"We will start construction from the parking area as we await to expropriate people,” Sembagare said.

It is expected that parking lot and the warehouses will be completed within this fiscal year while the construction works in general will be at 30 per cent completion.

The fiscal year ends in June of every calendar year.