The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ngabitsinze Jean Chrysostome, has shed light on the recent decision by the government to impound tonnes of mislabelled rice from Tanzania, an issue that has caused public outcry especially among importers.

Last week, authorities, including Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) seized the sale of more than 720 tonnes of imported rice from Tanzania, saying the rice was unfit for human consumption due to an excessive number of broken grains.

The rice that was seized belonged to several importers and was not as good as what was stated on the packaging. This suggests that some importers might have been charging more for rice that was of lower quality.

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The Minister stated in an interview on the national broadcaster that the FDA and RRA collaborated to discover that the contents of the packaging did not match what was advertised.

"The people who would have purchased the goods would have suffered and be surprised , particularly those Rwandans who enjoy purchasing rice, but ultimately, it comes down to the fact that we are not abiding by the norms and regulations in East Africa" Ngabitsinze said

He said that the decision was made to protect consumers from inferior products.

In total, out of the 26 trucks totaling more than 14,000 tonnes that have been seized, only 163 tonnes met the permissible standards and were taken to the market.

The remaining trucks are divided into three categories: the first is classified as first grade; however, upon inspection in the laboratory, it was discovered that this category was actually classified as the second. The other, classified as first category, is also classified as third category.

This indicates that the traders misrepresented the nature of the product they were importing, which could have resulted in customers paying more for a product that could have been purchased for less.

1100 tonnes of rice were imported in another batch, but the FDI lab technicians discovered that the rice contained so much broken grain that it could not even be categorized. As a result, the rice needed to be sent back to its original source or fed to animals.

The minister of trade and industry clarified that following discussions with traders, they chose to allow rice that fit within their category and met acceptable standards to be sold at regular price. However, it must be altered and packaged properly.

Ngabitsinze also emphasized that the crucial factor is safeguarding customers, ensuring that they pay the correct price for the appropriate product in the appropriate category and with the appropriate packaging.

"Many explanations for the situation have been offered; some have implied that it is political, but I would like to make it clear that this is not the case because this is solely an instance of a transaction between the buyer and the seller,” he added.