The Minister for Trade, Industry and East African Community Affairs, Francois Kanimba, has urged Rwandans to support local manufacturers by buying locally-made products.

Speaking at the launch of an exhibition for local products organised by the Nyarugenge District Development Action Plan in Kigali, the minister vouched for the quality of local goods and services, adding that the government-backed Made-in-Rwanda initiative seeks to revamp Rwanda’s economy.

"We need to have the confidence in products made by Rwandan firms to achieve the desired development targets and ensure the local economy is self-sustaining,” he said on Tuesday.

Many Rwandan buyers still have misconception that products made from abroad are of superior quality, which Kanimba dismissed as "outdated and self-defeating”.

Speaking at the event, Parfait Busabizwa, the City of Kigali vice-mayor for economic development, said they will conduct more exhibitions to expose Rwandans to locally-produced goods and services.

Tina Mutaharugo, an exhibitor in fashion and design, said such expos are important to sensitise the public about locally-made goods besides being an avenue to network and get new customers.

During exhibitions we don’t only get clients from Rwanda, but also those from foreign countries, she added.

Crescence Mukantabana, the head of the Joint Action Plan at Nyarugenge District, called for more support to enable firms improve quality and production capacity.

The three-day expo, which attracted 80 exhibitors, ended on Thursday.