The Government is committed to fighting unemployment by attracting more investors into the industrial sector in the country.

Francois Kanimba, the minister for trade and industry, who was touring Kigali Special Economic Zone in Gasabo District at the weekend, said if investors set up more factories, they would absorb more labour force as long as they follow the government policy on employing local manpower.

The minister was visiting the economic zone to assess the ongoing construction activities of the factories in the area as well as performance of those already set up.

Among other plants, Kanimba toured Positivo BGH, a manufacturer of laptops, computers, tablets, and other electronic devices; HIPPO Roofing Factory, which specialises in the manufacture of stone –coated steel roofing tiles; and STRAWTEC factory, which manufactures high-quality modular prefabricated wall panels from wheat and rice straw.

Kanimba commended the investors and challenged them to strive to employ more Rwandans.

"We recognise your contribution. The products from these industries will reduce the money we spend on importing the same products from abroad and the products are of good quality,” the minister told the investors.

"The fundamental thing we should appreciate is how graduates from technical schools can find work in these industries. Some still wrongly think that such jobs can only be done by expatriates.”

Kanimba said the government’s target is to have 26 per cent industrial development by 2020.

Briefing the minister, Juan Ignacio Poneli, the Positivo BGH Africa president, said ‘Made in Rwanda’ products are for local and international market, adding the company aims at making technology devices more accessible.

"We develop and deliver affordable products. Our devices produced here play a big role in facilitating education in the country. Rwandans are employed in our factory and their welfare is improved. Working with us increases their knowledge and earnings,” Poneli said.

Eckardt MP Dauck, the chairperson of STRAWTEC Building Solutions Ltd, said the factory employs technical school graduates, enhances their skills and increases their economic benefits.

"The majority of workers are locals except some expatriates who mentor them. We are a construction factory. We employ people who did construction. Our factory creates market for local farmers because we use waste from their products for raw materials,” Dauck said.

The company aims at bringing to the market about 2,000 housing units (of 50 square metres) per year to boost government’s effort to deliver affordable housing.

The 30-metre free span steel structure accommodates the strawboard production high-tech equipment that uses crop fibres such as rice and wheat straws to produce high quality boards, according to experts.

"STRAWTEC makes positive impact on balance of trade, skills development where 1,000 TVET graduates and 1,200 farmers have been trained. We also create 5,000 farming jobs to supply straw, transport jobs to transport raw material and finished products and we have 100 production staff,” Dauck said.

He added that they will soon start exporting construction materials in the region.

Sylvie Uwizeyimana said she has been working at STRAWTEC for the last three months.

"I did construction after secondary school and I am lucky to work in this factory. We were trained before starting work and now I am skilled. I like this job and I encourage girls to embrace technical education,” Uwizeyimana said.

Valens Uwiringimana, her workmate, said that with the factories, technical and vocational education graduates can easily get jobs if they can’t create their own.

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