Quality Improvement
The MIR Policy aims for Rwandan products to be known for their quality, reliability and durability at home and abroad. As efforts to change mind-sets work to instil this image amongst consumers, it is important that the product-reality reflects expectations on quality. The MIR Survey hinted at the fact that high costs of production are forcing industrialists to choose between price and quality in order to compete in the local market. This does not mean Rwandan producers are creating sub-standard goods, but rather that the Rwandan market by-and-large is more price-sensitive than quality-sensitive. Lower quality products, however, are harder to export. In order to overcome this duality, many firms have developed different products for different segments of the market; some high-quality and higher price, while others are cheaper and hence less durable. However, such differentiation is not possible in every sector and creating multiple products can be costly, inhibiting the utilisation of economies of scale. Facilitating the achievement of high quality while keeping costs affordable is therefore the second pillar of the MIR Policy.
There are two channels through which GOR will support the private sector to invest in quality. Firstly, it will create the necessary environment for firms to invest in quality, and secondly it will enforce mandatory standards and consumer protection so that firms who do invest in quality are not being undercut by producers of sub-standard products.