The government is seeking a private investor to develop and operate a customs bonded warehouse at Musanze Industrial Park to support factories importing raw materials. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) said, in a tender notice shared on X, that the planned facility will serve exclusively industries operating within the industrial park. ALSO READ: Private sector flags key hurdles in industrial parks According to the ministry, industries in the park imported approximately 6.68 million kilogrammes of raw materials between January and June 2026, highlighting the need for dedicated storage and customs clearance services. The warehouse will be developed on 12,635.96 square metres of land within the industrial park. The selected investor will be responsible for financing, constructing, operating and maintaining the facility. The government is also seeking investors with plans to expand and further develop the warehouse. Officials said the warehouse was planned as part of the services expected to support industries in the park. “In principle industrial parks should be equipped with a range of services to serve as incentives for establishing factories there,” Doreen Ntawebasa, Director General of Trade and Investment at MINICOM told The New Times. ALSO READ: What to know as govt sets deadline for factories to relocate to industrial zones She added that the urgency of establishing the facility emerged from consultations with existing investors and industries expected to operate in the park. Ntawebasa said industries in Musanze currently use bonded facilities operated by logistics providers, including DP World Logistics and Magerwa, located outside the industrial park. The planned warehouse is part of wider government efforts to address gaps in customs bonded storage capacity across industrial parks. “Despite this progress, there are still capacity and geographical gaps, particularly within industrial parks, where dedicated customs bonded facilities are currently unavailable,” Ntawebasa said. Rwanda currently has approximately 31 public bonded facilities and 24 privately operated facilities, according to MINICOM. The ministry plans to establish customs bonded warehouses in all industrial parks, starting with four prioritised parks, including Muhanga and Rwamagana. ALSO READ: Trade Minister summoned over inefficiencies in industrial parks Ntawebasa said potential private investors have already expressed interest in developing and operating bonded warehouse facilities within industrial parks. “Several investors have already started engagements seeking clarification on the investment requirements and expressing interest in participating in the development and operation of such facilities,” she said. However, the ministry said further details on interested investors would be provided once the tender is finalised. The exact capacity of the Musanze warehouse has not yet been determined. MINICOM said the selected investor will conduct a needs assessment based on demand and the volume of imported raw materials. Interested investors are required to attend a mandatory field visit on September 25 at 11am, departing from Musanze District One Stop Centre. The deadline for submitting bids is October 28, 2026.
