The government has appointed administrative managers for the different industrial parks across the country, a move expected to enhance efficiency and co-ordination between the private sector and government institutions. Last month, government announced it would allocate administrative managers to mobilise and co-ordinate industrialists. Francois Kanimba, the Minister for Trade and Industry, said the administrators are critical to ensure industrial parks are run professionally, and to bridge the gap between government institutions and investors. “This will help put in place organised structures to ensure smooth running of the parks. New industries are coming up across the country, so we need proper structures that will help co-ordinate operations to sustain the sector’s productivity,” Kanimba said. According to Alex Ruzibukira, the director general for investments at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the programme is ongoing and will start with Bugesera Industrial Park this week, when an agreement will be signed between the selected operator and government. He was cagey about the name of the operator. “Later, we will expand to Rusizi, Huye, Nyabihu, Rwamagana and Nyagatare industrial parks, respectively. We are also looking at doing the same for Musanze and Muhanga industrial parks in the next financial year.” Ruzibukira said the idea is to make sure that all policies regarding the parks are implemented to allow investors a conducive business environment. The operators will be under the supervision of Rwanda Development Board. Industrial parks help solve the challenge of inadequate infrastructure to spur production. Antoine Manzi, the director of advocacy at Private Sector Federation (PSF), said the sector faces challenges like insufficient energy supply, water, bad roads, as well as lack of raw materials and packaging and established market structures. “Therefore, establishing a proper managerial system is a step towards addressing some of these bottlenecks,” Manzi told Business Times. He said the federation will work with the park managers in ensuring that the cost of doing business in the country reduces further. Claudine Mukeshimana, the Rwanda Association of Manufacturers chief, lauded the development, saying that if properly executed, it will help policy-makers make informed decisions and thus foster economic excellence. Last year, the manufacturing sector grew by 5 per cent, contributing over Rwf67 billion to the total national GDP. The government will put in place e-reporting mechanisms to ease communications in special economic zones, according to industry ministry officials.
