Italy to Boost Rwanda’s Leather Industry

The Minister of Trade and Industry, François Kanimba has
signed an Agreement with the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) represented by the Director of its Johannesburg Office, Sergio La Verghetta and the Rwandese Association for the Promotion of Leather and Leather Products (RAPROLEP) aiming at accelerating the operationalization of a Training and Production laboratory for the Footwear and Leather products in the Community Processing Center in Gatsibo District, Eastern Province.

According to the Minister Kanimba this agreement is willing to establish a technical and financial cooperation in the set-up, organization and installation of a Training and production laboratory for the footwear and leather goods industry in the Community Processing Center of Gatsibo District.

“The Italian partners expect to send 24 machines with production capacity between 60-200 pieces per day latest May, 2013”, He noted.

He added that the agreement will serve to transfer and apply advanced Italian technologies and know-how to the local industry in terms of development of new product designs, training on new product development and other technical services and technologies in the local footwear and tannery industry.
The Italian delegation was composed by Dr. Sergio La Verghetta Director of the Agency for the promotion of Foreign Trade & the Internationalization of Italian companies (ICE) – The Italian Trade Commission at Johannesburg; Dr. Carlo Milone Secretary General of the International Polytechnic Industrial and Economic Development (PISIE) Italy, and Mr. Patricio Cioni President of PLURIPEL Group an investor in the tannery sector.

After a three day visit today and meetings with different Government institutions,besides the Italy Government support to the leather community processing center in Gatsibo district, the private investors PLURIPEL Group are also committed to invest in the leather industry in Rwanda.

Their investment in leather industry will be done in 3 phases. Phase one will cover building a tannery for production of wet blue for export and 10% of finished leather to supply local market; Phase 2 will cover upgrade of production from Wet-blue to finished leather and phase 3 will see the establishment of a shoe factory with other Italian investors in leather products.

If all goes well, the parties agreed to complete the three phases by 2017.