The Private Sector Federation (PSF) and Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) have come up with a very useful tool that is bound to open new doors to prospective exporters: The Export Handbook. It is a simplified step-by-step tutorial of how to get into the business; the requirements, where to register, how and where to carry out market surveys and the potential risks, all bundled in an easy-to-read manual. Many would-be exporters are usually afraid of the unknown; what kind of bureaucracy they will encounter, where to source funding and other logistics nightmare that can only come to the uninitiated. Both TMEA and PSF believe that enhanced trade, whether regional or beyond, holds the key to economic empowerment and uprooting poverty. Therefore, the new handbook should not just be used to decorate the coffee table or office shelves, but regarded as any other ‘holy’ publication that enlightens the reader and opens new avenues. With more Rwandans entering the export market, quality is what will set apart the ‘small boys’ from the major league, a necessary ingredient in enhancing the competitiveness of Rwandan goods on the world stage. So, the Export Handbook comes at the right time, when the country is embarking on an aggressive stance of making its presence felt in the world of international commerce. This time next year, PSF and TMEA will be able to gauge if their gamble has paid off. But one thing is for sure; many are bound to take the plunge because the export market has been demystified by the stroke of a pen.
