Rwanda Spends A Staggering USD 17 Mn Annually To Import Mosquito Nets
Rwanda spends USD 17.3 mn
In a bid to cut costs spent on importing mosquito nets, the Ministry of Trade and Industry Rwanda has announced that as from April mosquito nets will be produced locally by a local firm; Vision Garment Ltd.
Information extracted from newtimes.co.rw reveals that the production aims to manufacture 1.7 mn mosquito nets monthly.
Telesphore Mugwiza, an official working with Ministry of Trade and Industry Rwanda said the decision to opt for local production of the mosquito nets is to cut the country’s import bill.
He further divulged, “the company is starting production of mosquito nets. It has already assembled its machinery.”
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The government of Rwanda launched a search for investors in mosquito nets factory in August 2018 after a deal with an initial investor flopped because the investor could not meet standards required by the world Health organisation (WHO).
“The first requirement is to get an investor who is already qualified by WHO such that their factory will immediately be approved by WHO. This is a critical requirement, which cannot get fulfilled by many investors,” Rwandan Minister for Health, Dr Diane Gashumba stated earlier.
Earlier reports predicted that the project would be run under a Public Private Partnership arrangement involving the Government, a private investor and a WHO-certified LLIN manufacturer. The idea of producing locally made nets was initiated following a contentious deal that saw the purchase of 2.6 mn substandard mosquito nets whose cost was USD 10Mn.
By producing locally made mosquito nets, the Rwandan government anticipates that malaria cases will reduce drastically.
Feature image courtesy: scroll.in
