Made-in-Rwanda campaign will support self-reliance and create more jobs for Rwandans, among other benefits, Trade and Industry Minister Francois Kanimba has said. 

This follows a resolution during the just-concluded 13th National Leadership Retreat to put in place mechanisms to promote locally-made products to make them more competitive on the local and international market.

The retreat, which brought together government officials and selected development partners, was held from March 12-14, under the theme, "Reaffirming Brand Rwanda.”

The retreat came up with 14 resolutions—many of which rotated around the four topics that were discussed at the retreat which was chaired by President Paul Kagame.

The topics include, Made-in-Rwanda: Revamping the manufacturing sector, improving delivery towards the achievements of Vision 2020 targets, EDPSII and the seven-year Government Plan, the Rwandan child: guaranteeing rights and promoting social welfare and public accountability and ethics.

In the manufacturing sector, the components that are likely to benefit from the programme aimed at boosting the consumption of locally made products include textile, timber, agro-business, minerals and hides and skins.

Kanimba says revamping of textile and hides and skins manufacturing industries in Rwanda, will gradually eliminate used clothes and shoes on the local market, paving way for Made-in-Rwanda products.

While addressing a post-retreat news conference at the Prime Minister’s office, yesterday, Kanimba said the move would also see a significant change in the balance of payment, once the local market learns to appreciate and value locally produced items over imports.

"One of the ways to achieve this agenda is providing necessary incentives to the investors which include land, electricity, law materials, technical skills to the labour market and favourable taxation policies to the investors, among others,” Kanimba says.

Mindset change

Kanimba said the move is aimed at changing citizens’ mindset to value locally-made products.

"It is not just about rallying the citizens to buy local products, but there is a need to have affordable products and of good quality,” he added.

Kanimba says a shift to locally manufactured products will see the establishment of many industries in the "short- and long run,” which will sustain the available jobs and provide more employment opportunities to the citizens.

"It is true dealership in second-hand textile offers a big number of jobs, but the main business is not used clothes but textile in general. If we move from selling second-hand clothes, these people will shift to selling Made-in-Rwanda product.

"No Rwandan will lose their job due to the ban on second-hand textile. They simply need to change mindset, and shift to selling new textile products,” Kanimba said in response to a question on the possibilities of some people losing jobs in the event of the ban on used textile.

He said textile industry is one of the most labour-demanding industries, hence being positive that along the way, the drive to push out second-hand textile and encouraging the establishment of textile manufacturing firms in Rwanda will create about 300,000 jobs.

The minister said textile industry has evolved around the globe, shifting to different global blocs, as industrialisation evolved.

"Around the 19th century, textile industry was booming in the western world, but later it shifted to Asian countries as the sector grew further. Currently, the sector is losing out in the Asian super powers, with an increase in wages and the shift to more sophisticated alternatives. This is the time for Africa to embrace the textile industry, and Rwanda wants to be at the forefront,” Kanimba said.

Stella Ford Mugabo, the minister for cabinet affairs, said the move to promote locally-manufactured products, is not only a Rwandan campaign, but rather a regional shift to change the African mindset and attitude towards local products—as a vehicle for Africa’s economic transformation.

"When you look at where we are and the global challenges on the rise, we need to value our own products, which will drive us to self-reliance. Rwanda will only get where we want to be by valuing what we have and believing in what we can do for ourselves,” Mugabo said.

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