Source: Financial Times

  Source: The Washington Post

JAPAN has pledged to allocate 20 billion US dollars (about 50tri/-) to African countries, Tanzania inclusive, in the next three years to support strategic projects and spur economic reforms in the continent. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe disclosed the hefty funding during the official opening of the seventh edition of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD), which kicked off in Y okohama, Japan, yesterday. Mr Abe observed that Japan will continue to expand cooperation to develop Africa’s human resources, improve elementary education for children and help establish universal health care coverage. He noted that the established cooperation between Japan and Africa is further strengthened through TICAD, pledging to encourage the Japanese private sector to advance investment in the continent. According to Premier Abe, investments by Japanese companies in various African countries to date stand at around 20 billion US dollars. Expounding further on various programmes executed by Japan, including the ABE-African Business Education Initiative, the premier noted that over 350 youth are being supported to pursue practical trainings, with 3,000 others going through the programme as trainers. He maintained that Japan remains committed to support the health sector particularly on areas of medicines, nutrition and trainings on capacity building in the various African countries. He also pledged to continue supporting the continent in developing infrastructure, including roads, ports as well as technical support. Prime Minister K assim Majaliwa who is attending the meeting on behalf of President John Magufuli noted that Tanzania is among the largest producers of...

Kenya and the European Union (EU) on Thursday signed a deal for the Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) that seeks to boost Kenya's agricultural exports both regionally and internationally. Chris Kiptoo, principal secretary in the ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, told journalists in Nairobi that under the agreement, the EU will provide about 424 million shillings (4.1 million U.S. dollars) grant while the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will be the implementing agency for the MARKUP project. "Kenya will receive assistance to ensure that its agricultural produce meet the stringent safety standards for the EU and East African Community (EAC) markets," said Kiptoo. He added that under the program, small scale farmers from 12 counties across the country will receive capacity building to grow horticultural produce that meets international sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards. He observed that some of the value chains identified include green beans, peas, mango and passion fruits. "Currently some of our fruits are unable to access the lucrative EU market due to high residual levels of pesticides," he revealed. The government official said that the country's national institutions such as Kenya plant health inspectorate service will be strengthened to ensure that all the agricultural exports they certify as safe do not face any hurdles to access the EU and EAC markets. Source: Xinhau

Freight forwarders, transporters and related industry representatives gathered at the Kigali International Convention earlier this week to discuss weighty regional freight issues at the 3rd Global Logistics Convention. And although it was a two-day global talk shop that strove to cover logistics from across the world, the emphasis fell on regional rail enhancement, the transportation of water, and corruption – three crucial elements that top the agenda in the East African Community. Rwandan daily, New Times, reported that at Monday’s opening session, the country’s permanent secretary for trade and industry, Michel Sebera, “said that the logistics sector is central to economic development and requires attention if countries are to succeed in their development initiatives”. Abhishek Sharma, transport director at TradeMark Africa, said: “The main player that invests money in logistics infrastructure is the government. “But the main user of the infrastructure is the industry, the freight forwarders, and others. It is very important that when we are planning logistics, there is a constant dialogue between the government and the logistics players.” In recent times, Sharma said, “constant dialogue” between all concerned have ensured significant logistical improvements for land-locked Rwanda’s central and northern corridors through Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. It had resulted, he said, in the substantial reduction of transit times and road haulage costs. On the central corridor alone, Sharma explained, the average speed of a truck travelling cross-border had doubled, from 7km p/hour to 14km p/hour. Switching to corruption, Denis Karera, vice-chair of the East African Business Council, said it...

TradeMark Africa (TMA) has announced funding the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) with USD3.5 million to support a four-year program that aims at enhancing skills for customs agents, freight forwarders and warehouse providers in East Africa. The program implemented by FEAFFA across East Africa will offer timely training that is in tune with changing technologies and logistical needs, thus enabling customs agents and freight forwarders to provide competitive and high-quality end to end services. The two institutions made the announcement as they signed a grant agreement at the ongoing Global Logistics Convention in Kigali. Speaking at the event, Ms. Ithau said, “The high logistics costs in East Africa are driven not only by the high cost of inputs required for delivery of goods but also the inefficiencies and poor quality of logistics service delivery.” On his part, Mr. Seka highlighted important components of the program saying, “One key component is the updating of the East Africa Customs and Freight Forwarding Practicing Certificate (EACFFPC) curriculum and training materials. A strong warehousing module will be introduced to address the skills gaps in this critical element of logistics. We have focused on enhancing FEAFFA’s online learning program as this will ensure that training is available and accessible in many parts of the region. With this funding, FEAFFA will introduce a higher – level qualification that will build on the success of the certificate program. The higher-level training program intends to expose practitioners to global practices and position them as global...

Regional freight forwarders on Friday penned two vital agreements with foreign associations including one removing the longstanding burden where companies were compelled to pay a cash deposit fee of $2,000, per container, before leaving the port. This came after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) and the Dubai based National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL). Fed Seka, Chairperson of FEAFFA who signed the deal with Alexis Perinet-Marquet, Director of Product and Business Development at Switzerland-based Viaservice SA, at the end of the third Global Logistics Convention held in Kigali told Sunday Times that it is a big relief to Rwandan and regional businesses. The longstanding issue of container guarantees charges at the port, Seka said, was impeding business as the amount charged per container was too much. Now that it has been removed, he said, the cost of doing business will also reduce. Seka said: “There will no longer be cash deposits on containers; there is an issue which has been there, called a container deposit guarantee of $2,000 paid to the shipping line before one lifts every single container from the port.” “That money would be refunded once one returned the shipping boxes but it was a lot of money hindering our business. Imagine if you had 20 containers how much you would leave at the port as a container guarantee. That would be way too much.” With the signing of the MoU, he explained, Viaservice ensures the...

Rwanda has implemented a number of trade facilitation initiatives including, Rwanda Electronic Single Window, which has enabled faster clearance of imports and exports. By Our Correspondent August 30, 2019: At the 3rd Global Logistics Convention, $3.5 million deal was signed between Trade Mark East Africa and the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Association (FEAFFA), to raise capacity in East Africa’s logistics sector. The convention is held at the Kigali International Convention Centre, Rwanda from August 29–30. The four-year EAC Logistics Sector Skills Enhancement Program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through TradeMark Africa, and implemented by FEAFFA; will address existing skills gaps in the region that have since resulted into high costs of doing business within the community. The programme will help build skills of customs agents, freight forwarders and warehouse operators. TradeMark Africa’s director, Patricia Ithau and FEAFFA president Fred Seka signed the agreement. During the 3rd Global Logistics Convention, PS @mikesebs said that this convention will offer a unique opportunity to professionals in the transport and freight logistics sectors from all over the world while sharing best practices with transporters and logistics policy makers.pic.twitter.com/nsb0cjqJhJ - Min of Trade |Rwanda (@RwandaTrade) August 29, 2019 After the signing, Seka said the funding will facilitate introduction of a higher-level qualification that will build on the success of the certificate program, such as exposing practitioners to global practices and position them as global logisticians. “The gender gap is still prevalent in the logistics sector. Women make up to only 20 percent...

The Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Association (FEAFFA), East Africa’s Freight Forwarders body has today received USD 3.5Million from TradeMark Africa (TMA) a leading regional trade facilitation body. This is in support of a four-year programme that aims at enhancing skills for customs agents, freight forwarders and warehouse providers in East Africa. The programme, implemented by FEAFFA across East Africa, will offer timely training that is in tune with changing technologies and logistical needs, thus enabling customs agents and freight forwarders to provide competitive and high-quality end to end services. The two institutions made the announcement as they signed a grant agreement at the ongoing Global Logistics Convention in Kigali. TMA was represented by its member of the Board of Directors, Ms. Patricia Ithau and FEAFFA was represented by its President, Mr. Fred Seka. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided the funding through TMA. USAID is one of TMA’s 10 donors. Dubbed the EAC Logistics Sector Skills Enhancement Program; this new initiative will meet the need of the identified large skills gap in the EACs logistics sector; which has resulted into high costs to business. Either because a freight forwarder is unaware of certain regulations, or a custom agent is not conversant with multiple country regimes. The two partners said that they expect the programme to evolve into self-sustaining training activities through a robust sustainability model that will generate training related revenue. “The high logistics costs in East Africa are driven not only by the high cost...

Stakeholders in the logistics sector from across the world have convened in Kigali for the third Global Logistics Convention, a two-day at the Kigali International Convention Centre. Participants are looking to spur regional countries to enhance rail and water transport, embrace technology and curb corruption, among others. Stakeholders who include local and regional freight forwarders, truckers, sector experts among others believe the conference comes in regard to finding solutions to challenges in the transport and logistics sector. At the opening session on Monday, Michel Sebera, the Permanent Secretary in Rwanda's Ministry of Trade and Industry, said that the logistics sector is central to economic development and requires attention if countries are to succeed in their development initiatives. Abhishek Sharma, TradeMark Africa’s Senior Director for Transport recently told The New Times that the logistics industry ought to come together to discuss issues jointly and improve dialogue with governments in the region. Sharma said: “The main player that invests money in logistics infrastructure is the government. But the main user of the infrastructure is the industry; the freight forwarders, and others. It is very important that when we are planning logistics, there is a constant dialogue between the government and the logistics players.” Sharma said that even though challenges persist in the region’s logistics sector, in the last 10 years, the status of logistics in the region has improved significantly. “The [transit] time and the cost have come down dramatically along both the northern corridor and the central corridor. On the central corridor, for...