The move to have a packaging industry in the near future to improve the quality of products produced in Rwanda has gained momentum.

Claire Akamanzi, deputy director general Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA) said a private consultancy firm has been hired to carry out a market survey on packaging needs.

"It is against the findings of the survey that we will act upon to attract investors in this sector,” she said.

The development comes at a time when Rwanda is importing about 90 per cent of packaging material.

Because of the high costs, final consumers in the country are paying more for products that would otherwise be cheap—cost of production determines the market price.

A senior government official is optimistic that once Rwanda gets a packaging industry, most commodities in the country are expected to become cheaper.

But the country is not sitting back, presently, Rwanda produces heritage packaging baskets (ubuseke) to supplement the imported parking materials.

Vincent Karega, State Minister for Industry and Export Promotion said the few packages the country produces are not enough to match the current demand. He said good and standard packaging is required to promote exports.

"It is for those reasons that we requested Riepa to have a study on the packaging industries,” Karega added.

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