EALA mark EAC Day visiting Private Sector stakeholders
EALA marked EAC Day (30th November 2015) by visiting and holding talks with different Private Sector stakeholders in Kigali.
The first activity saw the legislators visit Positivo BGH, an electronics manufacturing company which uses Information Communications Technology to transform education. The Latin-American company which has set up base in Kigali, Rwanda, envisages regional expansion in the near future.
According to the Managing Director, Positivo BGH wants to make technology accessible to transform people’s lives from education, knowledge, development and communication up to comfort at home. The Kigali based plant which is situated in the Special Economic Zone was set up in June 2014 but commenced manufacturing a year later with a roll-out of 150,000 units.
The firm is set to broaden its base through diversified product portfolio and contract manufacturing. It intends to serve the local Rwandan market and in due course expand to other African countries.
The Assembly later visited the Strawtech Building Solutions that produces robust strawboard panels from wheat straw, as primary building materials from for mass housing and commercial construction projects.
The company has created a local value chain from raw material supply to turnkey housing units leading to a number of economic benefits including income generation and a positive impact of trade, a move EALA Speaker, Rt Hon. Daniel Kidega and the Members lauded.
Job creation has also been enhanced with over 5,000 farmers supplying straw and other workers providing transport in addition to the specialised architects, engineers and specialised construction jobs.
Chief Operating Officer Til Loeper said the company had identified Rwanda as the ideal entry point into the African market due to sound leadership and effective economic reforms that have resulted in positive investment environment.
“Rwanda is keen on implementing the Green growth and Climate Resilience Strategy as well as Government’s commitment to meeting future housing and construction demands”, Loeper said.
The company has constructed 2000 pre-fabricated, modular housing units per annum.