Rwanda holds homemade products expo to boost local consumption

KIGALI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Thursday inaugurated the third edition of the "Made in Rwanda Expo" as part of the country's efforts to boost domestic production and stimulate local consumption habits.

The trade show that runs until Dec. 5 was formally opened on Thursday at Gikondo expo grounds in the Rwandan capital Kigali.

The show seeks to raise awareness of the availability of locally produced goods to Rwandans that were once imported, according to the organizers of the event.

At the trade show, products ranging from agro-processed goods, home-baked food items, handcrafted jewelry and other handicrafts, textiles and technology, plastics, furniture, and construction materials among others are all at disposal at discount prices.

Opening the trade exhibition, Rwandan minister of trade and industry Vincent Munyeshyaka said that the expo offers special opportunity to commercially productive local companies and individual entrepreneurs to display and sell their products and create new marketing windows for their commodities.

"It's a channel through which Rwandans will put in much effort to use locally made products and as well help narrow the country's trade deficit," he said.

Campaigns to enhance domestic production and consumption will encourage innovation and entrepreneurship hence boosting job creation in Rwanda, said Munyeshyaka.

Rwanda is targeting an annual industrial growth of 14 percent by 2020 from the current two percent in 2016-17 fiscal year, Munyeshyaka revealed earlier this month.

Stephen Ruzibiza, chief executive officer of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF), emphasized that the only way to promote Rwanda industrial growth and increase the production capacity is by promoting the consumption locally made goods.

Locally made goods can positively contribute to diversify our local and export market and achieve self-sustainability, he said, adding that the country shall continue to ensure that goods produced in the country are reliable, durable and affordable for common people.

The exhibition has attracted a large crowd who came to have a closer look at the Rwandan made products. Enditem