EAST African Business Council (EABC) has gone a notch higher in resolving challenges facing the regional economies, with the launch of the regional programme on Public-Private Sector Dialogue (PPD) for Trade and Investment. Jointly launched by the EABC and TradeMark Africa (TMA), the project that spans from 2019 to 2023 aims at enhancing advocacy and dialogue on transport and logistics, trade facilitation, customs and tax, standards and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) at regional and country levels. The five-year programme is said to extend beyond the EAC and incorporates the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and Africa Continental Free Trade Area (Af- CFTA). “The Council is keen to enhance dialogue and partnership between the private and public sector, hence EABC will spearhead the programme in close collaboration with all national and regional sectoral private sector associations in EAC,” EABC Chief Executive Officer Peter Mathuki said. He noted that for businesses in the region to grow and expand within and beyond the EAC, there is need for technical and financial support to EABC to advocate and input substantive issues affecting the business community in regard to policy formulation and implementation. The Public-Private Dialogue can facilitate trade and investment climate reforms by promoting better diagnosis of investment climate problems, transparency and inclusive design of policy reforms, making policies easier to implement,” he disclosed. According to Mathuki, barriers to trading across borders like multiple product standard inspections and bureaucratic trade procedures, delay business transactions and increase...

Kazi ya utekelezaji wa ujenzi wa Gati mpya kwa ajili ya kuhudumia Meli za magari (RoRo Berth) kwenye Bandari ya Dar es Salaam imefikia asilimia 50 na ujenzi huo unatarajiwa kukamilika mwezi Juni 2019. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa TPA, Mhandisi Deusdedit Kakoko amesema mbali na kukamilika kwa ujenzi wa Gati hiyo unaotarajiwa kukamilika katikati ya 2019, kazi ya kuboresha Gati namba 1 tayari ilishakamilishwa na Mkandarasi tangu tarehe 7 Disemba mwaka 2018. “Mkandarasi alikamilisha kazi ya ujenzi wa Gati namba 1 ambayo ilihusisha kuongeza eneo la kupakia na kupakua mizigo pamoja na kuongeza kina cha maji mpaka mita 14.5 na kazi kama hiyo kwenye Gati Namba 2 mpaka 4 ambayo inatarajiwa kukamilika na kukabidhiwa ifikapo mwezi Julai mwaka huu 2019,” amesema Kakoko. Mkurugenzi Mkuu amebainisha kwamba kwa upande wa ujenzi kwenye Gati namba 5 mpaka 7 kwa sasa Mkandarasi anaendelea na usanifu wa kina (detailed design) ambapo kazi ya ujenzi inatarajiwa kuanza mwezi Novemba 2019. Mradi wa uboreshaji Bandari ya Dar es Salaam (DMGP) unatekelezwa kwa awamu mbili ili kutoathiri uendeshaji wa shughuli za Bandari (port operations) wakati wa utekelezaji wake. Awamu ya kwanza ya utekelezaji wa Mradi inahusisha maboresho ya Gati namba 1-7 pamoja na Gati mpya kwa ajili ya Meli za magari. Gati hiyo mpya inajengwa kwenye eneo la Gerezani Creek ambapo TPA ilisaini mkataba na Mkandarasi M/s China Habour Engineering Company Limited kutoka nchini China tarehe 10 Juni 2017 kwa kipindi cha miaka mitatu huku gharama za Mradi zikikadiriwa kuwa ni Shilingi Bilioni 330. Awamu ya pili ya...

Industry Trade and Investment Minister, Joseph Kakunda and Minister of State President’s Office for Central Establishment, George Mkuchika said on Monday during a TMA sensitization seminar for lawmakers, that the trade supporting agency has assisted to remove non tariff barriers. “The government of President John Pombe Magufuli is committed towards improving the business environment hence recognises the role which TradeMark Africa has played in supporting such an endeavour,” Kakunda said. He pointed out that among other things, TMA has assisted to remove numerous road blocks which delayed shipment of cargo from Dar es Salaam port to landlocked countries but also improvement of infrastructure to support both domestic and regional trade. “The government appreciates TradeMark’s role in financing improvement of infrastructure that improves trade but also digitization of the trading system which improves efficiency through competition,” the Industry and Trade Minister added. Seconding his peer, Mkuchika praised TradeMark for organizing the seminar for legislators so that they get an understanding of the situation on the ground in as much as domestic and regional trade are concerned. “Through your presentations, lawmakers have become aware of the non tariff barriers, policies and laws which frustrate the smooth conducting of trade in the country hence in a better position to undertake necessary changes to address such shortfalls,” Mkuchika pointed out. He said a better business and investment climate will make the country a competitive destination for investment hence boosting growth and government revenue. TMA Country Director for Tanzania, John Ulanga told legislators that the...

Way back in History, Africa was not mentioned by authors writing about the global economy. It was as if Africa didn’t exist... Or it ‘existed’ only when media organs were writing about civil wars, famines, severe malnutrition and migration – mostly illegal migration! It was a continent of no hope; a continent of woes. However, all that has drastically changed in the last few years – and, in this article, I explore six areas of greatest opportunities in Africa. Today, there are about 400 companies that earn annual revenues of $1 billion or more in Africa – and, on average, they are both fast-growing and more profitable than their global peers. Africa has become an important test lab for global innovation. If you can build a product, a service or a business model that’s cost-effective and robust enough to succeed in Africa, chances are that it will be competitive anywhere else in the world. Admittedly, there are huge challenges to doing business in Africa. But, these same challenges also provide opportunities for value-creation. In all those opportunities the golden thread running through them is technology. More than perhaps any other continent, Africa is piloting digitally-enabled breakthroughs that aid companies in surmounting entrenched barriers and unlocking exponential progress. 1. Millions in Africa lack access to savings and credit facilities. To serve the excluded households and businesses – and to do so in a profitable, sustainable way – banks and other financial institutions must use efficient but easily operable technology-based solutions; and...

Tea export volumes from East Africa to the rest of the world recorded a 21 per cent growth, the latest April auction report has shown. Records from the auction held on April 15th and 16th at the Mombasa auction, show that the regional exported a total of 9.6 million kilogramme bags, up from 7.5 million kilogramme bags shipped around the same time the previous year. At least six Eastern African member states actively participated in the auction out of the nine auction listed countries. These included Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Ethiopia. The other countries on the list but did not trade include DR Congo, Malawi and Mozambique. Reason  Uganda’s tea production has continued to show positive growth which has largely been attributed to good agronomical practices and increased acreage. Mr George William Ssekitooleko, the General Secretary Uganda Tea Association, in an earlier interview with Prosper magazine said: “Good production as result of increased acreage is responsible for this performance.” In the year ending 2018, tea exports recorded a 15 per cent increase – the highest performance that industrial players attribute to good production. A total of 71 million bags of tea were exported up from 60 million kilogramme bags average exported the previous consecutive years, according to Bank of Uganda records. Performance The auction report by the East African Tea Export Auctions showed that Kenya exported over 7.2 million kilogrammes bags more than the 5.7 million it exported the same time last year. This indicated a 19.7 per...

  EAST African Community’s (EAC) private sector is this week expected to get updates on the negotiations for establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The private sector will also give its views on AfCFTA’s viability in the regional sensitisation workshop this Thursday. East African Business Council (EABC) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) organised one-day workshop aims at assisting to unlock the potential of the private sector during the implementation of AfCFTA. According to an EABC issued statement, the workshop will also engage the private sector on what they need to do to realise positive benefits from the AfCFTA. “It’s important that the EAC private sector takes the position on how they want to participate in AfCFTA and how they intend it to be conducted,” the statement read. Launched in Kigali, Rwanda on March 18 2018, the initiative is expected to benefit the private sector in boosting speed and reducing the cost of customs procedures and port handling through implementation of trade facilitation measures, increasing cross border trade and investment thus enhancing market access for goods and services produced in Africa, and increasing competitiveness of the African industrial products through harnessing the economies of scale of a continental- wide market. It also envisages promoting innovation and enterprise through protection of intellectual property rights of the African private sector, establishing an Africa free trade area by building on regional blocs like the EAC where trading nations already work together. The EAC declaration also aligns with the...

According to the Principal Secretary, East African Community and Regional Development, Dr Margaret Mwakima, Uganda and Tanzania, are producing the agricultural produce in surplus and it will be prudent if Kenya will import from them annually to bridge the gap of food security by the year 2022. Grain production within the East African region increased by 50 per cent in the period between 2007 and 2016. Uganda and Tanzania registered notable amounts of the region’s staple food commodities measured in surplus. On the contrary, Kenya has continued to record a considerable deficit in staple food production for a range of reasons such as climate change and pesticides. According to Dr Mwakima, inter-regional trade in agricultural commodities will be the ultimate solution to cover the deficit whilst boosting the food security agenda of the government in the next three years. The PS says that for Kenya to compete with its neighbours in green business the government has instituted a business environment program that will ensure policies are streamlined. Speaking during Regional Grain Stakeholder Forum, AGM, the Chairman of the East Africa Grain Council said, the council has formulated strategies that are geared towards improving green business investment for the member stated so as to eliminate the burden of overdependence among member states. The agricultural sector contributes approximately 30 per cent of the country’s GDP annually and creates jobs for the populations at the rate of 65-85 per cent. In June 2014, the African Union Summit adopted the MALABO declaration which gave...

Ports – whether maritime, inland or river ports – are important pieces of infrastructure that serve a wide range of customers including freight shippers, ferry operators and private boats. Ports facilitate domestic and international trade of goods, often on a large scale. Inland ports can also play important transport roles within countries ferrying heavy or bulky goods where alternative ways of transport are more costly. Much as government plans to build Bukasa inland port, there are budget constraints. The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Bageya Waiswa told Daily Monitor in a brief interview recently that work at the Bukasa port is ongoing. So far, Mr Bageya said they are making funding arrangements for project affected people. “The funds for the project affected people in form of compensation will come next financial year,” he said. But Mr Bageya said Shs29 billion is needed. However, “we shall start with Shs20 billion from next financial year to 2020/21,” he said. A few years back, government hired a consultant to carry out studies on Bukasa – the port that will develop and improve cargo transportation to and from Uganda via Lake Victoria. Mr Jochen Scherer said government’s aim of developing Bukasa Port, is to, provide an efficient and reliable alternative route to the sea for Uganda, support the efficient movement of goods and cargo and reduce costs of doing business. “It will also establish a central logistics hub connecting the Northern and Central Corridors for intercontinental and East African inter-state trade,”...

EAST African Business Council (EABC) has gone a notch higher in resolving challenges facing the regional economies, with the launch of the regional programme on Public-Private Sector Dialogue (PPD) for Trade and Investment. Jointly launched by the EABC and TradeMark Africa (TMA), the project that spans from 2019 to 2023 aims at enhancing advocacy and dialogue on transport and logistics, trade facilitation, customs and tax, standards and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) at regional and country levels. The five-year programme is said to extend beyond the EAC and incorporates the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and Africa Continental Free Trade Area (Af- CFTA). “The Council is keen to enhance dialogue and partnership between the private and public sector, hence EABC will spearhead the programme in close collaboration with all national and regional sectoral private sector associations in EAC,” EABC Chief Executive Officer Peter Mathuki said here on Monday. He noted that for businesses in the region to grow and expand within and beyond the EAC, there is need for technical and financial support to EABC to advocate and input substantive issues affecting the business community in regard to policy formulation and implementation. “ The Public-Private Dialogue can facilitate trade and investment climate reforms by promoting better diagnosis of investment climate problems, transparency and inclusive design of policy reforms, making policies easier to implement,” he disclosed. According to Mr Mathuki, barriers to trading across borders like multiple product standard inspections and bureaucratic trade procedures,...

Serikali ya Tanzania Awamu ya Tano chini ya Dk. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, imedhamiria kwa dhati, kuendelea kuboresha mazingira ya uwekezaji nchini na mazingira ya  kufanya biashara Tanzania, hivyo kuipongeza Taasisi ya Trade Mark East Africa (TMA),  kwa kufadhili miradi ya kuboresha biashara kwa ujenzi wa miundombinu ya kisasa na ufadhili wake katika miradi ujenzi wa mifumo ya kidigitali ya kufanya biashara, hivyo kuongeza ushindani wa Tanzania katika kufanya biashara kwa nchi za Afrika Mashariki na Kimataifa. Pongezi hizo, zimetolewa na Waziri wa Viwanda na Biashara, Mhe. Joseph Kakunda,  katika semina ya  Wabunge Kuhusu Fursa za Biashara Ukanda wa Afrika Mashariki, liyofanyika jana, katika Ukumbi wa Pius Msekwa mjini Dodoma na ambapo  TradeMark  East Afrika, iliwasilisha Mada ya Mchango wake katika Kuboresha Mazingira ya Biashara nchini, Tanzania. Mark East Africa, wanafanya kazi nzuri sana  kuisaidia serikali, ujenzi wa miundombinu ya kisasa na kuboresha mifumo ya kiundeji kuboresha kufanya biashara, biashara ikiwa nzuri, uchumi utakuwa mzuri na TRA itakusanya kodi zaidi na kuleta maendeleo kwa taifa. Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Rais, Menejment ya Utumishi wa Umma, Mhe. George Mkuchika, amesema semina hiyo ya TradeMark kwa Wabunge, imewafungua macho kuhusiana na vikwazo vya kisera, kimiondombinu na kisheria vinavyokwamisha biashara, hivyo Wabunge kama watunga sheria, ni muhimu wakavielewa ili kushinikiza mabadiliko ya sheria, taratibu na kanuni za kuodoa vikwazo vyote vya kibiashara na kuifanya Tanzania, kuwa ni nchi kivutio kwa uwekezaji na kufanya biashara. Mkaazi wa TradeMark East Africa, Tawi la Tanzania, John Ulanga, amesema Tanzania ndio nchi yenye fursa kubwa zaidi...