Since the turn of the millennium, Africa has experienced a steady and unprecedented economic growth. However, poverty continues for people across the continent, especially in the sub-Saharan region. Unemployment and inequality have remained high. The rural population and the urban poor, women and youth, have not benefited from economic growth. African policymakers realize that, for the benefits of growth to be shared by all, there needs to be a structural transformation of the economy. Specifically, there is an acknowledgement that its composition should change, with increased shares of manufacturing and agro-related industry in national investment, output, and trade. Manufacturing, thanks to its multiplier effect on other sectors of the economy, has always been one of the most important drivers of economic development and structural change, especially in developing countries. Manufacturing is an “engine of growth” that enhances higher levels of productivity and greater technical change, thus creating more jobs with higher wages for both women and men. Recognizing this, the United Nations has proclaimed the period 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) in order to increase global awareness and encourage partnerships to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrialization. Today, Africa has exceptional opportunities for industrialization. In the next few decades, Africa will become the youngest and most populous continent in the world with a working age population expected to grow by 450 million people. or close to 70 per cent of the total, by 2035. With a rapidly growing population, and one of the world’s highest...

A policy seeking to protect and promote the rights of women, men, boys and girls within the East African Community (EAC) has been launched. Mr Abdikadir Aden, Chairperson of the Committee on General Purpose of EALA, said that the policy will look into areas of gender equality as well as protection of the youth and children. "In most institutions and even governments, the higher we go on the decision-making ladder, the fewer women we see. This has been many times referred to as the 'glass ceiling' that keeps women from rising to the upper ranks, regardless of their (academic and professional) qualifications or achievements and in comparison with their male counterparts," Mr Aden said during the launch of the programme in Arusha, Tanzania, on Monday. Mr Aden added that through social protection and community development, the EAC would be able to institutionalise gender strategies in the region. POLITICS He explained that despite various accomplishments by partner States in educating the girl child, there is still poor representation of women in the employment sector, more so in political representation. He said that there is still misleading data and false dichotomies between targeted programme interventions and those incorporating gender issues across different sectors. He also observed that there is lack of comparable data for tracking allocations and expenditures of resources for gender equality and the empowerment of women. "This lack of accountability delays progress in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls and other marginalised groups," he said. POLICY He,...

A business guide developed by the International Trade Centre (ITC) was launched on Tuesday to help the private sector and policymakers better understand and navigate the agreement. Albert Muchanga, the AU Commissioner of Trade and Industry, said the bloc was confident of getting the 15 remaining member-states to ratify the agreement by December. So far, Kenya, Rwanda, eSwatini, Chad, Niger, Guinea and Ghana have ratified the AfCFTA, while three countries (Egypt, Kenya and Uganda) have ratified the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) Tripartite Free Trade Area. At least 22 ratifications are needed for the AfCFTA to enter into force, and 14 are required for the TFTA. COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe said overlapping activities between the TFTA and the AfCFTA needed to be harmonized. Kapwepwe, who is the chair of the TFTA Task Force, said closer co-ordination between the AU and the regional economic communities will be key to successful implementation of both agreements. “The narrative of the regional economic communities being the building blocks of the ACFTA should be promoted to ensure complementarity,” she said. Source Apa News

Uganda hosted the 2nd Global Logistics Convention which brought together transport players mainly from the East African region with great focus being the role the country is playing in the transport logistics. Uganda being landlocked depends on transportation logistics from Kenya and Tanzania, but the country also plays a great link for goods being transported to Congo,  Rwanda and South Sudan. Sudan is the biggest consumer of Uganda’s agriculture products and finished products. However, as narrated during the convention, all is not well.  Regional Lorry Drivers Director Mr Byron Kinene said “Ugandans have gone through so much hardships as transporters in South Sudan. Spirit of the region and engagement through National Monitoring Committees played a role in addressing those issues.” The convention also looked at the great prospect for oil and gas transportation with countries in the region developing system to transport newly found oil. Kenya is in the process of transporting oil through the road from Turkana oil fields while Uganda is finalizing plans for development of pipeline through Tanzania. However, with improvement of trans-border checks, the convention noted that the movement of goods and services has become smoother. Uganda’s Minister for Transport,Hon Azubantege acknowledged the setting up of one stop border centre at Malaba recently by Kenyan and Ugandan presidents smoothed this process.  “New one stop border recently commissioned through  TradeMark Africa has reduced Mombasa-Kampala transit from 18 to 3 days.” The Electronic Single Window enables increased inter-agency cooperation, driving quick turn-around time on document or cargo clearing and...

ZAMBIAN importers and exporters should heed the advice by Mozambican Ambassador to Zambia Jeronimo Chivavi to use the port of Beira for ease of transport of goods across the two countries. Mr Jeronimo said Beira is secure as there are no thefts of cargo and is the shortest route to the sea. The advice by ambassador Jeronimo is timely as Zambia is deepening economic diplomacy and people in business should take advantage of every opportunity that beckons. Zambia has traditionally used the ports in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Durban, South Africa and Walvis Bay in Namibia for exporting and importation of goods. Yet, in terms of distance, the port in Beira is shorter and will make business sense for exporting and importation of goods from overseas, especially from Asia. Beira is 1,300 kilometres from the Chanida border post in Katete and 1,900 kilometres from the capital city, Lusaka. Using the Beira port will also spur trade between Zambia and Mozambique. The volume of Zambia’s trade with Mozambique is low, yet these neighbouring countries have enjoyed bilateral relations for over 40 years. Zambian traders should take advantage of Beira, the fourth largest city in Mozambique which lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province where the Pungwe River meets the Indian Ocean. Trade should become an integral part of Zambia’s economy and a significant tool for economic modernisation. The appeal by the Mozambican for the utilisation of Beira’s port facilities ties in well with Government’s commitment to facilitating...

TradeMark Africa (TMA) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have opened a new chapter of cooperation on regional integration programmes following a high-level meeting between the parties in Lusaka. The TMA team, led by its Board Chairman Erastus Mwencha, who is also former COMESA Secretary-General and immediate Deputy Chair of the African Union, comprised of the Chief Executive Officer Frank Matsaert among others. COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe led her team flanked by the Assistant Secretary-General (Programmes) Dr Kipyego Cheluget and other senior officials. Mwencha said TMA already works closely with East African Community institutions, national governments as well as the private sector and civil society organisations to boost trade. “The main purpose is to increase trade by unlocking the economic potential of Member States’ increased physical access to markets, enhanced trade environment and improved business competitiveness,” he said. In his brief to the Secretary-General, Matsaert said: “TMA has diagnosed the problems in the North and Central corridor and has come up with a program now in its second phase with an initial investment of $2m.” He added that TMA’s biggest programs have been in the ports of Dar-e-Salaam and Mombasa focusing on infrastructure upgrade to raise productivity. Additionally, TMA has registered success in coordinating and integrating border management systems, automation, cargo tracking, reduction of non-tariff barriers and harmonizing standards on a national and regional level. Matsaert stated that the company closely works with the private sector particularly the small-scale traders at each country level....

September 19, 2018—Two million US dollars is to be disbursed by TradeMark Africa (TMA), a trade consultancy based in Nairobi, to support women in the logistic and transport sector in the East African Community (EAC) member countries. Sandra Kirenga, a TMA senior official with the Uganda Office said the fund will be used to set up a secretariat that will develop a strategy on mainstreaming gender in the logistic sector. “The fund will also be used to train women in leadership to become agents of change, do research on challenges facing women and how they can be addressed, develop a guideline for gender equality best practices and also engage educational institutions on available opportunities for women in the logistic sector. The fund will also be used to organize regional logistics awards that will be aimed at promoting women in the logistic sector,” Kirenga said. Findings from a survey done by the Federation East Africa Freight Forwarders Association (FEAFFA) with funding from TMA and interviews with 97 logistics companies in East Africa, showed only 19% of all the employees in the companies are women. Kirenga said, “Even the small percentage that is employed in the logistics sector is being unequally treated compared to their male counterparts. They are paid less for the same jobs, they are sexually harassed and work in unconducive environment with no security. It is upon this background that TMA with support from our funders, DfID and UKAid. The project will start in Kenya with $600,000 dollars already...

The minister said this on Tuesday while opening the the 2018 Global Logistics Convention currently underway at Kampala Sheraton Hotel. The convention is organised by the Uganda Freight Forwarders Association (UFFA) in partnership with the National Logistics Platform and the Ministry of Works and Transport. , It is running under the theme ‘Freight Logistics: The Edge to Competitiveness’. “In order to overcome the supply chain bottlenecks associated with over-reliance on the Northern Corridor, Government is developing the Southern – route  (Central Corridor) via Water Transport from Port Bell to Mwanza Port in Tanzania.'' ''A new port at Bukasa is being developed which will also provide faster and cheaper means of transport directly by ship to Musoma or Mwanza in Tanzania and then by land to Dar es Salam or Tanga at the Indian Ocean. This project is set to be completed in 2020,” Azuba said. “The National airline is being revived. A new airport is also being developed at Kabaale in Hoima district. The objective is to increase Uganda’s competitiveness by reducing the cost of air transport and ease connectivity to and from Uganda, with the intention of leveraging opportunities in the tourism, agriculture, minerals, and oil and gas sectors,” Azuba said. In his remarks, Adrian Green, head of growth and economic management at UKAid underscored the critical role the logistics sector plays, describing it as the fuel that drives economic growth. “Sustainable development is directly linked to how the logistics sector facilitates trade. Perhaps for too long, development partners...

Kampala. Uganda has petitioned Tanzania on a number of issues that have negatively impacted trade between the two countries. Speaking on the sidelines of Uganda Export Promotions Board, Mr Richard Okot, the assistant commissioner external trade in the Ministry of Trade, told Daily Monitor that Uganda has requested for a bilateral meeting with Tanzania to address trade concerns. “Issues with Tanzania are not new. We have scheduled a meeting to sort out all those issues,” he said. The meeting follows recent concerns over denying entry to some of Ugandan products into Tanzania and slapping some with prohibitive taxes. Tanzania recently announced it would slap Ugandan sugar with a 25 per cent contrary to the East Africa Common Market Protocol. Other products that have been denied entry into the country include sweets and other sweeteners that Tanzania claims are re-exported from other countries. Ms Hadija Nakakande, the Ministry of Trade public relations manager, early this week confirmed they had petitioned Tanzanian to address issues related to Ugandan exports into Tanzania. The meeting, she said, will address long standing concerns raised by exporters beyond sugar. “The Tanzania-Uganda issues are bigger than just sugar. This is a bilateral meeting to harmonise the relationship between the two countries. We have issues we want them to address and they also have issues they want us to address,” she said. Key among the issues, she said, will include resolving the issue of road user fees, which require Ugandan exporters to pay for using Tanzania roads, retesting...

rademark East Africa (TMA) has earmarked $2million for the next three years to support women in the logistics and transport sector in the East African Community countries. According to Sandra Kirenga, an Economist at TMA, the funds will be used to establish a secretariat that will develop strategy on mainstreaming gender in the logistics sector. “The fund will also be used to train women in leadership to become agents of change, do research on challenges facing women and how they can be addressed; develop a guideline for gender equality best practices and also engage educational institutions on available opportunities for women in the logistic sector,” she said. “The fund will also be used to organize regional logistics awards that will be aimed at promoting women in the logistic sector.” According to a survey that was done by the Federation East Africa Freight Forwarders Association (FEAFFA) with funding from TMA on 97 logistics companies in East Africa, Only 19% of all the employees in the companies are women. “Even the small percentage that is employed in the logistics sector is being unequally treated compared to their male counterparts. They are paid less for the same jobs, they are sexually harassed and work in unconducive environment with no security,” Kirenga said. The Gender project, she said, will start in Kenya with $600,000 dollars already secured from TMA funders and will be expanded to other East African countries. Kirenga revealed this during a panel discussion on ‘Mainstreaming Women in Logistics’ during the Global...