Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has awarded the best and emerging business at the seventh edition of the annual Rwanda Business Excellence Awards 2019. The colorful ceremony, held in Kigali yesterday, and highlighted Rwanda’s private sector investment growth, did not recognize any winner in the customer care sector but growth made by local companies and women in business. “This category didn’t meet the requirements of the competition and judges decided not to award this category,” said the RDB CEO, Clare Akamanzi. Eleven companies received medals and cash prizes which were scooped by local companies. At the awards ceremony, Master Steel Rwanda emerged as the overall Investor of the Year, replacing the 6th edition winner-I&M Bank, from the previous year. Volkswagen (VW) Mobility Solutions, which has an assembling plant in Kigali netted the Emerging investor of the Year award while Awesomity Labs-a Rwandan company of four youth who developed a mobility application for VW car (Move App) also snatched the Young entrepreneur of the Year award. Young entrepreneur of the Year award was highly contested with equally promising youth-led companies like Carl group- which makes bread out of sweet potatoes from over 200 farmers, and MS computer Ltd- which had Rwf4 billion revenue turnover in 2019. From a single staff, the company’s employees grew to 40 employees. Africa Improved Foods (AIF) retained its award of the Exporter of the Year, which they scooped from two serious competitor BGM Bakresa Azam who were beaten in volumes of locally made products exported out of Rwanda....

In Summary Blow to Kenya as Dar to Kinshasa Standard Gauge Railway makes Nairobi’s new line less economically viable.   The SGR link gives landlocked Burundi and DRC direct access to the Dar es Salaam Port, greatly boosting Tanzania’s Central Transport Corridor.   Kenya had marketed its own SGR as the cheaper and more efficient route for East Africa’s landlocked countries including Burundi and eastern DRC. By EMMANUEL ONYANGO Tanzania has signed an agreement to link its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a deal that gives Dar es Salaam’s multi-billion-dollar project a major shot in the arm. Transport ministers of the three countries Isack Kamwelwe (Tanzania), Jean Bosco (Burundi) and Roger Biasu (DRC) signed the agreement this past week in the port town of Kigoma. The SGR link gives landlocked Burundi and DRC direct access to the Dar es Salaam Port, greatly boosting Tanzania’s Central Transport Corridor. The development is, however, a blow to Kenya’s Northern Transport Corridor, which had marketed its own SGR as the cheaper and more efficient route for East Africa’s landlocked countries including Burundi and eastern DRC. “This agreement is in line with the completion of a preliminary feasibility study of detail design plans which was successfully done by the consultancy company Gulf Engineering Ltd based in Uvinza,” Mr Kamwelwe told The EastAfrican. The first phase of the construction will start from Uvinza district in Kigoma region in north western Tanzania to Gitega, via Msongati region, in Burundi,...

By Bemanya Twebaze In Summary Unlock women’s potential. In order to unlock the full potential of women in Uganda, we must continue to foster an entrepreneurship ecosystem for women that helps them to overcome barriers – cultural, legal, social, traditional, etc. The 3rd edition of the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (Miwe) has listed and ranked Uganda as the top country with the highest percentage of women-owned businesses in the 58 markets evaluated around the world. The other top two include Ghana and Botswana. This is a great story of persistence by women who continue to drive the backbone of Uganda’s economy through SMEs. Despite all the advances, women in rural areas still fall far behind compared to their urban counterparts in terms of access to opportunities (markets, infrastructure, technology, affordable financing and education). Many women in Uganda become entrepreneurs by necessity (having no better choice of work) yet they are determined to succeed despite lack of financial capital and access to enabling services. In terms of achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship, the Mastercard Index shows that Uganda has attained significant progress despite challenges such as inadequate financial inclusion, which cuts off many women from the formal money economy. In order to unlock the full potential of women in Uganda, we must continue to foster an entrepreneurship ecosystem for women that helps them to overcome barriers – cultural, legal, social, traditional, etc. Gender-related biases are hindering women around the world from advancing their businesses. Yet women entrepreneurs continue to overcome these...

At the invitation of the Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Dr. Edwin Mhede, WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya visited Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, Tanzania on 5 and 6 February 2020 to discuss Customs modernization with the TRA and political leaders. In Dar es Salaam, a major entry point for Africa on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, Dr. Mikuriya met the TRA’s management team to discuss progress with the implementation of Customs reform, including the setting up of a Customs Laboratory for which the WCO has recently conducted a feasibility study. He also visited the port of Dar es Salaam to observe the use of various technologies, including the scanner control system, and discussed measures to improve trade facilitation. In Dodoma, capital of Tanzania, Secretary General Mikuriya met with the Minister of Industry and Trade (MIT), Hon. Innocent L. Bashungwa, and discussed the way forward for establishing a coordination mechanism between the MIT, the TRA and other stakeholders to facilitate two-way trade, with due consideration for small and medium-sized enterprises. He also met with the Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Philip Mpango, to review a wide range of issues related to Customs reform. Minister Mpango assured Dr. Mikuriya of the prompt accession of Tanzania to the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention, with a view to ratifying and implementing the WTO TFA.  Both Ministers agreed to focus on human resource development and capacity building for Customs, and especially for young Customs officers, in order to achieve a sustainable reform...

By ANNE ROBI WORLD Customs Organisation (WCO) has pledged to work with the Tanzania Revenue Authority and other necessary governing bodies to improve efficiency of customs operations in the country. The WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya who is in the country for three-day official visit made the revelation in Dar es Salaam noting that collaboration with TRA will basically feature on technology use and other areas on improving efficiency of customs operations. Mr Mikuriya told reporters shortly after visiting the Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) that use of technology should be linked and integrated with the training of human resource and how to manage it. “For example the Port of Dar es Salaam is very important, but the infrastructures and other relevant services providers should go hand in hand with customs in the use of technology, and this is the aspects that I have been discussing with TRA Commissioner General on how best to improve the efficiency of custom operations, in collaboration with other regulatory and port authorities,” he said. Mr Mikuriya mentioned the Tanzania Centralized Scanner System currently under implementation as one of the example that the country can use to pull resources by learning best practices from each other and getting together and sharing information and knowledge. “As WCO organizes more international meetings there are opportunities that are involving mutual neighbours to share the practices and for the technology should be combined with other partners for best practices,” he said adding that WCO provides many best practices and guidelines...

By Business Reporter Kenya is seeking more market access to the EU market. With this, Kenyan exporters will have to diversify export products and increase value addition in order to ease the trade imbalance between Kenya and Germany, according to the Deputy Head of Mission in Berlin Amb. Esther Mungai. Speaking at the Kenyan Embassy in Berlin ahead of the official opening of this year’s edition of Fruit Logistica Trade Fair, she lauded government to government collaborations as well as private partnerships between Germany and Kenya that have increased market access for Kenyan goods and services to the EU market. Kenya has a trade deficit of KSh87.8 billion to the European Union market as of 2018, with Kenya’s exports to EU standing at KSh131.1 billion while her imports were at KSh218.9 billion, hence creating the deficit. Germany is one of the key markets where Kenya’s export products are preferred, which are largely vegetables, tea, coffee, fruits and nuts, tobacco and canned fruit juices. On the other hand, over 50 Germany firms are in Kenya. Fruit Logistica, an international trade fair for fruits and vegetable global marketing has more than 3100 companies from the entire value chain of the green range exhibiting. This will include both global players as well as small and medium-sized suppliers from all over the world. Kenya will be represented by 40 companies who will be seeking more market opportunities, make global business networks as well as exchange latest trends in the industry and value addition opportunities to expand...

By   The Independent Kampala, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT | The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced a roadshow in Kigali to show the Rwandan private sector how it can become a primary beneficiary of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which will provide significant opportunities to access the largely untapped markets and sectors in an integrated African market of over 1.3 billion people. Organised in collaboration with Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation (PSF) on 11 February 2020, the roadshow will seek to raise the awareness of the Rwandan private sector about the substantial benefits of attending the second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2020) which is taking place in Kigali from 1 to 7 September 2020. According to Afreximbank, Rwandan businesses can take advantage of the AfCFTA by establishing new networks of business buyers and sellers from across the African continent, enabling the country to significantly expand its intra-African trade. Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said: “Rwanda’s economic transformation is undoubtedly one of Africa’s success stories. Rwandan businesses can further capitalise on this achievement by positioning themselves to take full advantage of the AfCFTA. Its removal of intra-African trade tariffs, progressive dismantling of non-tariff barriers and protectionism, will create a genuine single continental market. By attending IATF2020, they will gain an unrivalled opportunity to showcase their goods and services to buyers from across the African continent, whilst establishing new trade and investment links with a wide network of private and public sector players from more than 55 different countries.” Benedict Oramah IATF2020...

By PSCU President Uhuru Kenyatta has assured that a new bilateral trade deal between Kenya and the US won't undermine the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). He spoke shortly after a meeting with the United States President Donald Trump at the White House during which the two leaders agreed to commence trade talks. Uhuru made the assurance when he addressed more than 350 business leaders attending a US-Kenya Trade Forum in the US capital. At the White House meeting, Uhuru and Trump said a new deal would increase investment between Kenya and the US. SEE ALSO :After Uhuru decision on housing, state must listen to people more US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer who spoke shortly after the meeting between Uhuru and Trump said America recognises Kenya as a leader in Africa and an important strategic partner. He said a new deal presents the two countries a rare opportunity to explore ways of deepening the Kenya-US economic and commercial ties. In line with the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability law of 2015, the Trade Representative will now notify Congress of the US government's intention to start trade negotiations with Kenya.     Currently, trade between Kenya and the US stands at about USD 1billion a year with over 70 per cent of Kenya's export into the expansive American market in 2018, worth USD 466 million, entering under AGOA. Uhuru told the Kenya-US forum that his administration is committed to developing and concluding the strongest trade and investment framework. SEE...

By Dan Ngabonziza Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation in collaboration with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), have announced a planned roadshow that will sensitise the business community on the benefits of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In March 2018, Rwanda witnessed the historic signing of the AfCFTA – a continental single market set to connect 1.3 billion populations. The single market will come into force in July this year. African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has been championing the private sector to boost the market through different initiatives such as Intra-African Trade Fair. Rwanda won the ticket to host this year’s IATF2020 which is expected to trigger deals worth $40 billion. Ahead of the Trade Fair, Afreximbank and PSF organised the road show that will Rwandan private sector how it can become a primary beneficiary of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which will provide significant opportunities to access the largely untapped markets and sectors in an integrated African market of over 1.3 billion people. The roadshow will be conducted on February 11 and will provide members of the private sector in the country the substantial benefits of attending the second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2020) which will take place in Kigali from 1 to 7 September 2020. According to Afreximbank, Rwandan businesses can take advantage of the AfCFTA by establishing new networks of business buyers and sellers from across the African continent, enabling the country to significantly expand its intra-African trade. In a statement released on Thursday, Prof. Benedict Oramah, President...

By GEORGE TUBEI  The Kenyan government has officially begun the process of constructing its part of the 460km Coastline Transnational Highway. The Coastline Transnational Highway project is a joint project between Kenya and Tanzania. Upon completion, it will stretch from Lunga Lunga-Mombasa-Mtwapa-Malindi on the Kenyan side to Bagamoyo-Tanga-Horohoro on the Tanzania side.   More than 20 years ago since it was conceived, the East African Coastal Corridor development project may finally see the light of day. The Kenyan government has officially begun the process of constructing its part of the 460km Coastline Transnational Highway. The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has already hit the ground running and has published a Tender by the entity for the 13.5km Mombasa—Mtwapa (A7) section and the 40.4km Mtwapa—Kwa Kadzengo-Kilifi (A7) section. Bidders are expected to submit their documents by the 21st day of next month. Mombasa to Bagamoyo Highway (highway today) The Coastline Transnational Highway project is a joint project between Kenya and Tanzania. It stretches from Lunga Lunga-Mombasa-Mtwapa-Malindi on the Kenyan side to Bagamoyo-Tanga-Horohoro on the Tanzania side. It is projected to cost Sh75.1 billion ($751m) and it will be financed by the African Development Bank and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania at 70% and 30% respectively. Last Year, AfDB approved a $384.22m financing package for the project a few months after the European Union gave the government of Kenya a grant of US $33.41m. According to the KeNHA tender, the Mombasa—Mtwapa (A7) section entails the construction of a four-lane dual carriageway,...