NPD-Cotraco is a Rwandan construction company that has since 1996 provided real estate construction, civil engineering works and the manufacturing of construction materials. However, beyond construction, the Rwandan-based company has a good image for quality in the East and Central African regions, helping to expose Rwanda to the outside world. In an interview session with Hope Magazine, the company’s Director General, Jean Gatarayiha, highlighted the company’s path to its current status.
Hope: Briefly give us an overview of NPD Cotraco
GM: NPD-Cotraco is a civil engineering company that is purely owned and run by Rwandans. Often people get use to foreign companies executing construction activities in our country but we are here to offer what they can offer and to give much more in terms of quality. Concerning the business position of the company, NPD Cotraco has grown steadily over the years and we anticipate further development as well as the realization of our goals. In 2011, our turnover was over Rwf15 billion, a 100 per cent increase from 2009 when the same value was at Rwf7 billion. This year, we are targeting to raise our turnover to about Rwf20 billion.
Hope: Which product mainly distinguishes you from other construction companies?
GM: Here in Rwanda, we are pioneers in the construction sector and we have the finest quality products that best suit our market. None of our products are inferior to the other and this makes it difficult to single out a single product to top the list. However, if I had to single out one I would choose a product like our concrete electric poles. These electric poles are purely made from concrete and steel bars giving them a high level of durability estimated to last for about 50 years, compared to wood or metallic poles used elsewhere in the region that last for about 3 to 5 years. However, I will generally note that all our products are of the utmost quality and we at NPD Cotraco want to contribute towards building a beautiful Rwanda by offering outstanding construction materials.
Hope: Name a few achievements the company has accomplished thus far?
GM: Since our start, the journey has never been easy. We have encountered a number of challenges but due to our persistence, we have managed to get to where we are today. Our main achievement is our survival through all of these setbacks, and emerging as a major contributor towards the building of our nation. I could not have imagined we would grow to a point where we could start the construction of an asphalt road of any size and complete it. We have constructed more than 56km of asphalt road across the country and that number will grow to over 70km after we complete our current project in Kigali. We expect to complete the 34km project in Kigali before the end of October this year. This is something we are proud of; that Rwandans can accomplish the things we used to think only foreigners could do.
Hope: What factors contribute to your current success?
GM: You know it takes the courage and solidarity of many people to make something happen. Unity and a team spirit are the strengths we have always built upon. There is an important understanding between the management and stakeholders of this company. Whenever we go to the board with certain suggestions, they never let us down but have on many occasions backed us up, which is the seed for our current status. However, we also depend very much on the support of the government. For instance, the Minister of Transport of the Ministry of Infrastructure recently paid us a visit to thank us for our contribution to the construction industry of the country. Through the Minister, the government pledged to continue support.
Hope: There still exists an imbalance between exports and imports internally, what’s your contribution to eliminating this disparity?
GM: Although we started with the target of first satisfying the local demand for our products, we are now set to start exporting our expertise in construction as well as the construction materials we produce. Recently, we began improving our capacity both in the machinery we use and the skills of the personnel we employ. Today we are proud to say that before the end of the year, we expect to have more than 80 per cent of our work mechanized. This not only includes increases in production by over 10 times but also serves to ensure a consistent standard of quality products. It is worth noting that more than 98 per cent of our staff engineers are from Rwanda, which is a result of training them and helping them acquire skills.
I can also share with you that we have already started competing for construction tenders in the region. We were voted the best in a CPGL tender to construct 42km of asphalt road that will connect different points in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are also engaging in partnership agreements with companies in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, which might see these companies importing our electric poles and/or have NPD-Cotraco open subsidiary factories in some countries of the region.
Hope: What are your targets for the next five years?
GM: We want to be the leading civil engineering works company not only in the region but also on the entire African continent. I would be more than happy to see Rwandans undertaking construction of roads all over the continent and beyond because thus far we have shown the willpower.
Hope: How much have you donated towards societal development?
GM: First, I need to inform you that our products, above everything, are environmentally friendly. For example, our electric poles are made from concrete and can be recycled after they expire. Moreover, we are engaged in social responsibility activities like rehabilitating impassable roads. Also, wherever we work from, we often build essential infrastructure like electricity and help to distribute it to local citizens.
Hope: What is the principal challenge you face as a company?
GM: One of the biggest challenges that we often face is that of electricity, mainly in the rural regions. However, the government is in the process of solving this hurdle and we believe that it will soon be history.
Hope: What is your advice to those engaged in the same trade as you?
GM: My advice to other businesses is quality needs to be the priority. When you ensure the services and the products you offer are of a good quality, profits will always follow.
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