The launch of construction works was held at the Kigali Special Economic Zone on Friday.
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi said the plant was needed in the country as it will reduce the budget currently spent on drug importation.
“We imported Rwf80 billion worth drugs last year, this means that the plant will help us cut that budget. The plant is very crucial for the country,” she said.
He went on to say that the plant will provide employment to Rwandans. The construction of the first phase will be completed in 18 months and 40 people will get employed.
The representative of Cooper Pharma in Rwanda, Ismail Cheik Lahlou said the plant will be constructed in different phases, with the investment amounting to $7 million in the first phase only.
He said that they will produce a wide range of medicaments and added that they will start by producing injectable medicines while tablets will be produced later.
“Our prime purpose is to help Rwanda’s self-dependence in drugs; we want to replace foreign drugs by locally produced ones. We want Rwandan populations and the region to consume quality medicines. We hope to reduce between 10% and 20% of imported drugs,” he explained.
The plant comes as a result of cooperation signed between the government of Rwanda and Morocco Kingdom when Moroccan King Mohammed VI visited the country in 2016.
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