Private sector growth is a top priority for the government, Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente said yesterday.

The premier was speaking at the official opening of the 21st International Trade Fair in Gikondo Expo Ground in Kigali on Friday.

The event was attended by top businesses and government officials in the country.

Ngirente urged the business community to strive for quality products, be competitive and grow the portfolios by supplying to foreign markets.

The premier said that the members of the private sector are key players in any nation’s development and challenged exhibitors and the entire sector to take the lead in driving national development.

The three-week trade fair brings together over 400 exhibitors from Rwanda as well as businesses from over 20 countries across the world.

"In the national strategy for transformation 2017-2024, Rwanda has prioritised investment and trade. In this strategy, we aim at accelerating a private-sector-led economic growth and development,” he said, adding that private businesses should position themselves to do business in global markets.

"Our target is to continue growing our export levels by at least 17 per cent annually until 2014. This will mainly be done through the promotion of the Made-in-Rwanda brands,” he added

The export performance on goods and services has gone up by 8 per cent in the last seven years, from 10 per cent in 2010 to 18 per cent in 2017.

The prime minister encouraged the exhibitors to learn from each other as a way of improving their businesses.

The trade fair, Ngirente said, brings together producers of good technologies, goods and services from Rwanda and other parts of the world. It is, therefore, an opportunity to collaborate and learn from the best, he added. 

The premier urged foreign exhibitors to invest in Rwanda pointing out that the country is conducive for doing business and was ranked second in Africa and top in East Africa.

Robert Bapfakurera, the Chairperson of the Private Sector Federation, said this year’s trade fair attracted more exhibitors than previously.

The number has increased over the years from 80 in 1997 when it started to over 400 exhibitors this year. Over the same period, the number of visitors increased from 4,300 and are projected to be 17,000 on weekdays and over 25,000 on weekends.

Exhibitors react

Exhibitors have hailed organisers of the expo saying that it is an opportunity for them to learn from each other to ensure that they improve their products.

"Expo is an opportunity for us to showcase our products, especially those which are made in Rwanda. People are not aware that there are good products which are locally made and are more affordable than the imports,” said Salvan Ntwarabashi, from Amagerwa company which is exhibiting furniture and Construction material.

Ordinarily, the exhibition lasts two weeks; however, this year’s edition, which started on Thursday, is scheduled to run for three weeks up to August 16.

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