Rwanda Express

The Chinese delegation

The Chinese delegation visiting Rwanda has lauded the country’s economic transformation, a fact they say will support part of the Rwanda-Sino intended projects.

Rwanda- Sino highlights fruitful partnerships in bilateral trade and development cooperation between China and Rwanda.

The remarks were made by Professor Justin Yifu Lin heading the delegation comprising of 22 entrepreneurs from two cities of Zhuji and Shengzhou who are in the country.

Lin cited one province in China that employed 100,000 workers in sock production last year and earned about 3.5 billion US dollars.

The delegation is in Rwanda to study investment opportunities in light manufacturing such as socks, silk ties, belts, shirts and tea processing.

The RDB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amb Valentine Rugwabiza assured the Chinese prospective investors that Rwanda’s open economy provides a competitive & profitable business environment for both local and international investors.

According to the Director General of Workforce Development Authority (WDA) Jerome Gasana, Rwanda has already been requested to select 50 people to go for a six-month training in sock production in China.

The state minister in charge of TVET Albert Nsengiyumva also commended this project that comes to meet labor market demands through supply of skills linked to product manufacturing.

It is believed here that Sock production is more of a cottage industry where outworkers produce a high proportion of the volumes, a model that is seen best if adapted for Rwandan conditions where the need to create off farm jobs is very important.

Early this year the government of Rwanda and China held a 7th session of the Joint Committee on economic, technical and trade cooperation.

The session discussed on the progress in cooperation in different areas such as bilateral trade, investment cooperation and development cooperation between the two countries.

Statistics from RDB indicate that in the last five years Rwanda has witnessed tremendous increase of Chinese investments in Tourism, ICT, Construction, Agriculture, Manufacturing and Infrastructural development.

According to the RDB Chief Operating Officer Clare Akamanzi, China has 31 projects in Rwanda with an estimated value of 219.2 million US dollars.