A digital platform specifically designed to address the information needs of women in business and connect them via a custom-built social networking tool was launched over the weekend in Kigali, Rwanda. The platform, known as 50 Million African Women Speak, was unveiled during the Global Gender Summit in the Rwandan capital. It primarily seeks to help economically empower women by providing a one-stop-shop for a wide range of financial and non-financial services that women need to start and grow successful businesses. The initiative which is accessible at www.womenconnect.org is implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It will allow women in 38 African countries to find information on running businesses, accessing financial services, create business opportunities online and access training resources, ultimately contributing to their economic empowerment. “I certainly believe that the creation of this platform is a very practical way of speaking to the general agenda of empowering women. I think a lot has been said and now we have come to a stage where we have practical initiatives such as this one,” said COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe. Through a robust social networking functionality that has been embedded in the platform, women will have opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, mentoring and sharing information and knowledge, connecting via the web-based platform or through the 50 Million African Women Speak mobile app. The platform is touted as having the potential to unleash a dynamic...

Jack Ma, the Chinese businessman and founder of e-commerce and technology giant, Alibaba, is in Addis Ababa for the launch of Electronic World Trade Platform in Ethiopia (eWTP).The private sector-led initiative works with governments to promote e-commerce. Ethiopia hopes eWTP will help promote its exports to the global market and open up new markets for small businesses. The event is taking place in the capital’s ICT Park, which was built with the aim of making Ethiopia the technology hub of Africa and providing needed infrastructure for IT companies. Mr Ma’s visit comes a year after he met Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China, last year. Source: Business Focus

The revival of Uganda Airlines and Air Tanzania have raised the stakes for the aviation industry in the East African region as the two state-owned flag carriers fight for a slice of the sector currently dominated by international carriers, SADAB KITATTA KAAYA. As Uganda Airlines launched two additional routes to Mombasa in Kenya and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzanian authorities were looking at possible partnerships with Uganda to cut out the possibility of unhealthy competition between the two countries’ airlines. Uganda Airlines resumed commercial flights on August 28, almost three years after the revival of Air Tanzania in September 2016. But since the two airlines are fishing from the same pond for passengers on their regional routes, Atashasta Nditiye, Tanzania’s deputy minister of Works, Transport and Communications, suggests that the two airlines can complement each other with Uganda Airlines feeding Air Tanzania’s long-haul routes. With two Airbus A220-300 and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in its fleet, Air Tanzania operates routes to Mumbai, India and Guangzhou, China, and plans to start flights to Thailand which are popular trade and tourism destinations for East Africans. “Instead of competition, we can complement each other by Uganda Airlines flying passengers from its various destinations to Air Tanzania’s hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar-es-Salaam for Air Tanzania to take them to its long-haul destinations,” Nditiye said. The second area of cooperation is in revamping the East African Civil Aviation Academy also known as Soroti Flying School, proposing that Tanzania’s civil aviation authority works together with...

Besides being the largest infrastructure project in post-independence Kenya, the Standard Gauge Railway, popularly known as SGR, is also one of the most controversial and misunderstood in the country’s history. Its economic impact, cost, viability and potential has been the subject of intense debate over the years and most recently with the completion of the first two phases of the project. While some hail it as an economic game-changer, others term the SGR a burden on the country citing the high level of debt used in financing it. Whatever the opinion, one thing is not in doubt – SGR is a highly transformational national enterprise. When fully harnessed, it will catapult the economies of many counties and the country as a whole to a whole new level. SGR is also a Vision 2030 flagship project underlining its long-term role in the country’s social and economic development. Phase 1 completed in May 2017 is now fully operational with 14 freight and 4 passenger trains and hit most of its targets within one year, signalling demand for cargo and passenger traffic along the corridor. For a project of this scale to be delivered within schedule is a lesson that with proper planning, political goodwill and zero corruption, the country can achieve its goal of becoming a middle income, competitive economy within the next few years. Of course, we have to do a lot more in terms of ensuring that resources allocated to projects are shielded from corruption cartels and political mischief. Let’s...

Somaliland targets over 30 percent of Ethiopian container cargo as construction work for the first phase expansion of the port of Berbera progresses halfway. The Port Authority says expansion should be completed by October 2021. Berbera Corridor is a comprehensive engagement between Somaliland and Ethiopia. It allows for sea access, roads, telecom infrastructure and electricity led by a joint coordination committee. The first phase consists of building a 400-meter quay and 250,000-square meter yard extension. It was awarded to Shafa Al Nahda. The port expansion will cost 442 million USD. “The expansion process is going well as we are closely following the project, which will be completed on time,” General Manager of Somaliland Port Authority Said Abudilahi told a group of journalists adding that the contractor is very experienced. Shafa Al Nahda has been involved in the Port of Dakar expansion in Senegal as well as the Port of Maputo expansion project in Mozambique. DP World holds a 51 percent stake in Berbera Port, while Ethiopia holds 19 percent and Somaliland the rest. “A port without a road is nothing so we are working side by side and struggle to complete the Barbera corridor comprehensive scheme with a road, all the way from Barbara toTogochale. “The General Manager said expressing his strong dedication for the road connectivity. Still another UAE and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development Construction the company are also building a 250-kilometer divided highway between the city of Berbera and the Ethiopian border town of Togochale which...

As the East African Community (EAC) Marks 20 years of regional integration, the East African Business Council has organized a high level business and investment summit. Slated for November 28th and 29th this year, the meeting is intended to discuss wys of making East Africa a leading trade and investment destination and how to increase intra EAC trade. This year, EAC is celebrating 20 years since its revival, marking the signing of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community which was signed on 30th November 1999. EAC is one of Africa’s fastest-growing regional blocs that registered an economic growth of 5.7 percent in 2018. “While we have achieved many milestones, such as the establishment of the Single Customs Territory and One-Stop Border Posts (OSBP), which have eased the free movement of persons and goods and facilitated trade, there are still several challenges to be addressed, including reducing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), protectionist tendencies by Partner States, and delays in harmonization and domestication of EAC-agreed decisions and directives.” A statement from EABC reads in part. The Business Summit will discuss and address some of the challenges hindering businesses to thrive. According to Article 7 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC states on people-centered and market-driven cooperation as a principle to govern practical achievements of the objectives of the EAC integration process. Article 128 emphasizes on strengthening of the Private Sector as a key partner in the EAC integration. But the question is:  How do we make business the top agenda for the...

The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Trademark East Africa (TMA) launched the National impact assessment report that presented the effects of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on Uganda, during a national AfCFTA stakeholder consultation meeting on 31 October 2019. Emphasizing that regional platforms are “the way to go” for developing countries to overcome trade challenges, the Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives; Amelia Kyambadde, used her opening statement as an opportunity to applaud the ECA/TMA partnership in supporting regional integration in Eastern Africa. Addressing key players from Government, civil society, academia and private sector, she suggested that the AfCFTA is an instrument for harvesting Africa’s many prospects, saying: “I see more opportunities in Africa than any other continent in the next ten years. AfCFTA is the way to go. I foresee interconnectivity, industrial growth, competition, entrepreneurial development, improved negotiation as a region, regional value chains, standards, and an opportunity to improve future negotiations”.  The Minister deemed the AfCFTA well aligned with Government priorities of transfoming Uganda into a developed economy through building productive capacity and market integration.  Having given credit to the crucial role Uganda played as chief negotiator and champion during the AfCFTA negotiations, the Minister gladly reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the implementation of the agreement, which will be supported through various trade promotion and capacity enhacement programs.  What the AfCFTA means to Uganda  Uganda’s enthusiasm for AfCFTA is well founded. The forum proceeded to present an Impact Assessment Report, set out by Andrew...

TradeMark Africa has signed a partnership with African Union aimed at boosting intra-African trade and realisation of the ambitious Africa Continental Free Trade Area. The agreement was signed by Amb. Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, AU and Amb. Erastus Mwencha, TradeMark EA Board Chair and Frank Matsaert, CEO, TradeMark EA. Commenting about the development, Muchanga said, “AU is indeed excited to work with TMA, renowned organisation that has implemented successful trade facilitation programmes in East Africa. We want to complement our efforts in implementing the ambitious boosting intra African trade programme, leverage TMAs experience and ensure similar trade facilitation initiatives are implemented to boost trade and prosperity for the people in this region.” On his part,  Mwencha said: “This partnership with the African Union is an important milestone and embodies our vision for a prosperous Eastern Africa. TMA can help fast-track implementation of the AfCFTA by supporting the African Union (AU) programme for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT). By implementing quick win measures to ‘thin’ borders and reduce the cost and time to trade along key corridors, TMA will help keep momentum going for this ambitious initiative to be realised, while countries are involved in the longer-term exercise of negotiating trade and tariff regimes.” TMA’s operations across eight countries, working with government, private sector and civil society to address high trade costs in Eastern Africa and support export growth, is well-positioned to support the African Union on its vision for an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its...

Our Reporter. The African Union (AU) has signed a partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) aimed at boosting intra-African trade and fast-tracking the realization of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ) in selected Southern and Eastern Africa countries – Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, DRC, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique . The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa this week by Amb. Albert Muchanga – the AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Amb. Erastus Mwencha – the TradeMark EA Board Chair and Frank Matsaert – the TradeMark EA CEO. Speaking at the signing, Amb. Albert Muchanga – the AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry noted that the ‘AU is indeed excited to work with TMA; renowned organisation that has implemented successful trade facilitation programmes in East Africa.’ Amb. Albert Muchanga said; “We want to complement our efforts in implementing the ambitious boosting intra African trade programme, leverage TMAs experience and ensure similar trade facilitation initiatives are implemented to boost trade and prosperity for the people in this region.” On behalf of TradeMark Africa, board Chair, Amb. Erastus Mwencha said, “This partnership with the African Union is an important milestone and embodies our vision for a prosperous Eastern Africa. TMA can help fast-track implementation of the AfCFTA by supporting the African Union (AU) programme for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT).” “By implementing quick win measures to ‘thin’ borders and reduce the cost and time to trade along key corridors, TMA will help keep momentum going for this ambitious initiative to...

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