This year’s Rwanda International Trade Fair (RITF) has attracted close to 420 exhibitors from 17 countries, a marginal increase from 408 companies last year. Of these 271 are local exhibitors, while foreign firms are 148, Stephen Ruzibiza, the Private Sector Federation (PSF) chief executive officer, said.

The annual expo, organised by PSF and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is scheduled for July 27-August 16 at the Gikondo Expo Grounds in Kicuriro. The expo will be officially opened on Thursday.

Ruzibiza said this year’s expo will focus on supporting the Made-in-Rwanda initiative, a drive aimed at promoting consumption of locally-produced goods.

That’s the reason why we have given local producers priority, allocating them more space compared to foreign exhibitors.

Yvette Mukarwema, the chief operations officer at PSF, said this year’s trade fair emphasises the need for the country to engage in initiatives to improve quality of goods and services so as to become competitive in the international market.

Ruzibiza challenged local firms to use the fair as an opportunity to showcase their products and compete effectively with the international exhibitors.

The expo enables exhibitors to share business and investment ideas, which results into opening up of new businesses in Rwanda by foreign participants.

Ruzibiza said firms like, JKK International from Dubai, Mukwano and MOVIT from Uganda, opened offices in Rwanda after participating in the annual expo. Roofings Rwanda’s Ugandan parent firm also opened a roofing factory after exhibiting at a previous trade fairs.