Burera (Rwanda) is commencing a joint project with a Japan-based capital firm, Noguchi Holdings, to set up a textile company in Burera District. The establishment of this factory is expected to fuel competition in the domestic market.
Burera District will hold 48 per cent of shares while Noguchi Holdings will 52 per cent of shares in the textile company.
The textile facility will create 600 job opportunities, said Jean Marie Niyonzima, Chief Executive Officer of the textile firm.
The company’s factory will be operational by January 2018. It will manufacture all types of apparels to minimise the use of imported garments. “Every month we expect to produce 480,000 clothes,” remarked Niyonzima.
The factory, once operational, will be a big boost to country’s Made in Rwanda drive. It is also seen as a progressive step by Rwanda towards becoming a self-dependent country in the apparel segment.
Niyonzima further said that an initial investment of around RWF 1 billion has been made. Some portion of the fund has already been utilised to purchase, electrical machines, computerised cutting machines (RWF 170 million), etc.
The computerised cutting machine is expected to cut more than 15,000 tissues in less than 30 minutes. Niyonzima said that it is the biggest computerised cutting machine in Rwanda and other sectors will be permitted to use it at no cost.
Additionally, the factory has so far deployed over 280 machines to manufacture clothes.
The reports claim that the company has recruited graduates from Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) to handle the electrical machines. Tailors in and around the district of Burera have also been roped in.
Niyonzima further informed that the factory has signed even an agreement with a company based in Hong Kong to export more than 200,000 apparel pieces annually.
