Rwandan exhibitors who participated in the country’s first trade-fair conducted in Congo-Brazzaville have hailed the expo, saying it was a success.

The trade-fair which took place from June 18 to 21, 2011 in the capital Brazzaville, attracted over 40 ecompanies from Rwanda.

One of the exhibitors told Business Times, the Brazzaville market is a big opportunity for Rwandan made products.
 
According to Inyange Industries’ Sales and Marketing Manager, David Kamanda, the Expo has been a success for them.
 
He said he was amazed by the opportunities in Congo.

"We have better products which are not on their market, we are excited by the opportunities here and we will be happy if the exhibition is conducted like twice a year,” Kamanda said.

Kamanda hailed RwandAir for a well organised and coordinated trade fair. However, he urged the airline to revise its cargo charges.

He urged both governments to harmonise their tax regime to that of other Central African countries to encourage fair competition.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Francois Kanimba, who led the delegation, said the trade fair meant a lot to the economy and business people in Rwanda.
 
"I was really excited with the potential we have in Rwanda to export diverse Agro-processed products to the part of the continent. And this is a great opportunity for both economies,” Kanimba said.

This year, RwandAir opened up Brazzaville and Libreville as their new rote destination.

Kanimba explained that with the national carrier flying to these cities, it is a big opportunity for the Rwandan business community to venture into the virgin market of the two countries.
 
The Minister explained that both countries have crude oil deposits, but they lack sophisticated refineries to maximise output.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Private Sector Federation (PSF), Rogers Munyampenda, said the trade fair is in line with Rwanda’s policy to promote its products and image.

"It is a good way of extending cross border trade for domestic products that are demanded by our neighbouring countries,” Munyampenda said, adding that "It’s a new strategy of extending our market and increasing our exports.”

Ends