The manufacturing sector has recorded positive growth in the first quarter of this year with turnovers for manufacturing industries increasing by 2.3 percent compared to last year. According to the Central Bank’s first quarter report, the turnovers for manufacturing industries rose to Rwf42.24 billion this year from Rwf41.29 billions in the first quarter of 2009. “We are working on details showing performance of the different sectors of the economy for the first half. All the details will be included in the Central Bank’s Monetary Statement which will be released on August 26th,” Ambassador Claver Gatete, the Deputy Central Bank Governor told Business Times yesterday. Ambassador Gatete observed that after compiling the different statistics the Central Bank will be able to release more detailed information explaining growth trends in the different sectors. The preliminary quarter report attributes the slight increase in manufacturing industries to an increase in manufacture of beverages in terms of volume of beer and soft drinks which expanded by 11.6 percent and 5.4 percent respectively. Cement production also went up by 22.4 percent, electricity and water production by 21.0 percent and 17.0 percent respectively. Positive growth was also recorded one of the country’s leading exports – tea whose production went up by 36.1 percent while mineral production also went up by 22.1 percent. In addition to soap production which increased by 8.5 percent while paint production increased by 68.5 percent respectively. However medium industries also performed well in the period under review with a major increased recorded in animal feeds production which went up by 100 percent. Rice milling industries and bricks and tiles production also rose sharply increasing by 38.9 percent and 56.0percent respectively while flour production went up by 45.7percent. Bakeries production recorded a modest increase of 18.3 percent, paper products 12.1 percent and other chemical products increased by 2.1 percent. Though in general many companies registered positive growth, a significant decline was recorded in coffee, textile, sugar and pyrethrum production respectively. In particular coffee production went down by 58.8percent, pyrethrum 73.8percent, textile 28.8 percent while sugar went down by 29.7 percent. Last year the total turnover of large companies of industry and service sectors slightly rose by 1.41percent and 4.95 percent against 30.73 percent and 37.33percent in 2008 on account of global recession and liquidity crunch. Ends
