Editor, RE: “Made-in-Rwanda drive to focus on quality, says Kanimba” (The New Times, 16 June, 2016). It was very encouraging to read the remarks of the Minister for Trade and Industry, Francois Kanimba, when he said that quality would be of paramount importance in the drive to promote ‘Made in Rwanda’ products. Please allow me to share with your esteemed readers that the Business Forum of Rwanda Calling 2016, which will take place at the Rwanda Development Board Head Office in Kigali, on Monday 20 June, will see both partners of the well-established, quality conscious eighty year old Aroma International not just register with RDB, but actually announce the launch two manufacturing units. The Indian SME will be setting up a soap manufacturing unit with an investment of $600,000 and a battery manufacturing unit with a capital outlay of $400,000. Over and above this one million dollar investment will be the cost of two acres of land, one acre for each unit. As the minister stated, SMEs are key drivers of the economy and, therefore, the Government is banking on the sector to provide the necessary impetus on the road to sustainable development. With quality as a top priority, Remarkable Rwanda’s manufacturing sector will definitely be able to attract substantial foreign direct investment in the years ahead. Clarence Fernandes
