Rwanda has begun producing glass locally, with the government now prioritising investments in electricity infrastructure to support higher output and attract more industrial investors.

Presenting the Industrial Policy 2024–2034 to the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, June 9, Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi said improving access to locally produced packaging materials remains a key priority as manufacturers continue to grapple with high costs.

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He noted that small and medium-sized enterprises are among the hardest hit, as many still depend on imported packaging materials before they can bring products to market.

"We still face challenges in accessing packaging materials. Small investors are particularly affected because they rely on imports before they can package and sell their products,” Sebahizi told lawmakers.

As part of efforts to strengthen local industrial capacity, the minister said the country has already made progress in glass processing, with Silverback Glass Processing Limited now producing processed glass locally.

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The factory, which began operations in September 2024 in Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District, currently manufactures glass used in construction.

However, Sebahizi said the government wants the plant to upgrade its technology to produce packaging glass while also attracting additional investors to the sector.

"We already have a plant producing construction glass, but the next step is improving technology so that it can also produce glass for packaging,” he said.

The government has also started discussions with investors interested in aluminium production, which could further strengthen local packaging manufacturing.

According to Sebahizi, aluminium offers added benefits because it can be recycled and reused across multiple industries, including construction.

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The minister stressed, however, that expanding glass manufacturing and attracting more industrial investment will require a larger and more reliable electricity supply.

He explained that glass production is highly energy-intensive because it involves heating silica sand to extremely high temperatures until it melts.

"The technology used in glass production consumes large amounts of electricity,” he said.

Sebahizi cited an industrial facility in Musanze that consumes about 40 megawatts of electricity, noting that the establishment of more large-scale industries would require additional power generation capacity.

He said efforts to increase local glass production will go hand in hand with investments in electricity generation and industrial infrastructure.

The remarks came after Members of Parliament raised concerns about the high cost of packaging materials for locally manufactured goods.

MP Jennifer Wibabara said research by the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) shows that packaging remains expensive because of reliance on imports and high transport costs linked to Rwanda’s landlocked location.

Rwanda could become a significant player in the regional glass manufacturing value chain, supported by an estimated 73 million tonnes of silica-rich sand reserves identified by the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB).

The deposits, located in Kirehe, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rutsiro, Rubavu, Nyabihu and Muhanga districts, are estimated to be sufficient to support large-scale glass production for up to 700 years.