More than 20 business companies from Poland in Rwanda to explore trade and investment opportunities on Monday, on December 5, also expressed interest in the agriculture and agro-processing sector.
Zdzisław Sokal, The Executive Vice President of Polish Investment and Trade Agency, said they signed agreements with Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on exchanging trade and investment opportunities.
"We are an open door for cooperation. We can use our experience in Rwanda’s economy,” he said, adding that Poland was once a small economy.
He said that polish investors are interested in various areas of the Rwandan economy.
"Our agriculture is at a high level; we have high production of chicken among others.”
The country is the EU’s largest producer of poultry and apples, the second-largest grower of potatoes, after Germany, and ranks third in sugar beets, rapeseed, a plant chiefly used for oil, and pork.
Other major crops include wheat, rye (cereal plant), triticale (grain crop which is a hybrid of wheat and rye), oats, cruciferous vegetables, carrots, onions, and cherries.
Polish businesses are also exploring trade and investment opportunities in finance, ICT, health, manufacturing, water, and waste management, among others.
Dr Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Rwanda, said that there are already two Polish companies – one invested in the mining sector and the other in cyber-technology and ICT – in the country.
"These will create jobs for Rwandans,” he said.
He added that Rwanda is a strategic place for investment considering that it is a gateway for tapping into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is a market for 1.2 billion people and a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion.
"Rwanda is ready to facilitate the business community to ensure that these opportunities are fully maximized,” Biruta said.
Joseph Cedric Nsengiyumva, the Chief Finance Officer at RDB, said that trade development agencies from both countries signed agreements to exchange information on trade and investments.
"If there are investment opportunities, local investors and their Polish counterparts can cooperate. We also signed agreements to organize exhibitions where investors can meet to explore opportunities,” he said.
Nsengiyumva said that besides agro-processing, Polish investors are also interested in smart cities development.
"If a local investor has limited resources, experience, and skills, they can work with such foreign investors,” he said.
Katarzyna Janik, a representative of the Board of Directors at LuNa Smelter, the sole producer and exporter of tin in Rwanda, said they produce 700 tons every year, since 2019.
"We want to expand services and also double capacity. Rwanda is a good market to invest in as it is well-organized. We are also looking for a license to start mining,” she said.
In the past, the Polish government realized that Africa is becoming a more productive partner businesswise and wanted to take this opportunity to another level. Its "Go Africa programme” aims to forge business partnerships between Polish investors and African entrepreneurs to promote growth of the continent.