Local textile industry operators to improve the quality and quantity

Textile factories in Rwanda are on the rise every other year after the government imposed increased taxes on imported second hand clothes and fabrics about two years ago.

Local textile industry operators say they are doing everything possible to improve the quality and quantity of their produce owing it to the fact that the Government has put in place incentives to facilitate their production. However, some people complain that high prices of locally made clothing have affected competitiveness. 

Proprietors of textile industries in Rwanda say they are doing everything possible to improve the quality and quantity of their produce owing it to the fact that the Government has put in place several incentives to facilitate improved production for local and international market.

Apart from the big factories, some SMEs in the Textile and clothing industries import raw material before they make final products locally. These SMEs say that they are not rested until their products are appreciated on the local and international market.

"We know that it's still hard to compare the quality of our products with those on the international market.  Some clients ask for high quality products and you can't help envisioning that if you had better machinery you would favorably compete with the biggest brands. But slowly our quality will improve with the demand on the market and profitability," Uwera Karen, Rwanda fashion Designers Association

"It is still difficult to match the international standard because most of our raw materials are locally produced or imported from within the region. It makes it difficult for us to competed with popular brands like Lauren Polo whose raw material are internally produced with consideration of market preference in terms of quality and quantity,"Umutoni R. Lauren, UZI Collection

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning DR Uzziel Ndagijimana says that in bid to promote local textile and leather factory, the government decreased taxes on locally manufactured apparel by 25 per cent in addition to other incentives. 

"We have make it easy for the textile and leather factory to im priot raw materials by removing import tax and they get other incentives such as getting them warehouses in the industrial zone, and connecting them with other producers within the Private Sector Federation, setting up investment fund to faciliate access to finance and connecting producers to the markets," Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana

However consumers say that despite the government intention to promote locally make produce and improve the values on local brands, they also challenge local producers and factories to make thier products to improve thier quality and make prices are affordable an d competetive comparing to alternative products on the market. 

Available figures from the ministry of Trade and Industry show that Rwanda's exportes grew by 69% in the last 3 years while imports reduced by 4%.

Industries in general contributed 10% of the total DGP in 2018.

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