A new laboratory equipment donated to the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) now positions Rwanda as a regional hub for testing samples from countries in the region, an official said yesterday. During the official hand-over ceremony, yesterday, Raymond Murenzi, acting director-general of RSB, told guests that the event epitomises the importance of USAID's contribution to Rwanda's efforts to enhance the trade environment. It will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of product testing in order to reduce the testing costs and, ultimately, improve export competitiveness across the region, he said. Murenzi added: "This high tech and powerful piece of equipment will not only allow Rwanda to test and certify its own export products, but will also position Rwanda as a regional hub for testing samples in a number of areas, including food, cosmetics and waste water." He noted that USAID, through TMA, authorised the purchase of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) testing equipment that is used to assess the purity of Rwanda's export products. The equipment is crucial in ensuring that goods produced in Rwanda meet quality standards required by advanced markets in Europe, Americas and elsewhere. USAID mission director, Marcia Musisi-Nkambwe, said two years ago, the U.S. government, through USAID, partnered with TMA to support the Government of Rwanda's efforts to increase intra-regional and international trade and reduce the time and costs of trade. "Through this partnership, USAID invested $5.7 million to: improve market access and reduce cost of trade...

Dodoma — MPs yesterday unanimously advised the government against signing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the East African Community member states. According to the lawmakers, EPA in its current form is bad for the country's economic development and should be rejected. The government, through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, tabled the agreement in Parliament on Monday, seeking MPs advice on the way forward. A day earlier, MPs were familiarised with EPA's contents by three academics from the University of Dar es Salaam - Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, Dr John Jingu and Dr Ng'wanza Kamata - who all urged Tanzania to reject the deal.  Debating the agreement yesterday, MPs from both the ruling CCM and Opposition maintained that the agreement was not in favour of Tanzania's development vision, and should be renegotiated on terms that would take into account the country's interests. However, a handful of legislators advised the government to propose the way forward after rejecting the deal. Ms Saada Mkuya (Welezo-CCM) said the move would affect development cooperation between EU and Tanzania, particularly with regard to aid. "Yes, we are rejecting this deal because it is bad for our economy, but how far are we prepared to deal with the consequences? I suggest that we start to prepare early and allocate funds in the next budget for implementing development projects currently financed by the EU," the former Finance minister said. "The minister (Mr Charles Mwijage) should also go to Zanzibar and inform members...

Prolonged and contentious trade negotiations between the European Union and different regions of Africa have been put back into the spotlight in recent months. Despite negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements, or EPAs, with the EU, several key African states have failed to sign them. Britain’s referendum on leaving the EU last June has added an extra dimension of uncertainty to the situation. This threatens to derail years of trade talks between Europe and Africa, which changed significantly with the signing of the Cotonou Agreement in 2000 between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, or ACP countries. Before that deal, African states had enjoyed unilateral trade preferences with the EU. Cotonou reflected a significant rethinking of this trade and aid dynamic. A World Trade Organization waiver that was secured until the end of 2007 enabled the EU and ACP countries time to negotiate a new WTO-compatible trade relationship governed by a series of interregional EPAs. ... Source: World Politics Review

KIGALI - Rwanda - On Wednesday, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) handed over to the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), high technology laboratory equipment that will facilitate testing for heavy metal traces. The equipment is the first of its kind in the East Africa region, positioning Rwanda as a regional hub for testing samples of food, cosmetics and wastewater. The testing of mercury and arsenic in water samples, which was taking approximately 60 days when sent abroad, will now be completed by RSB within seven days. The handover ceremony took place at the RSB office in Kicukiro. Since its creation in 2002, RSB has been providing key services to enhance the competitiveness of Rwandan products, fair trade and consumer protection, such as quality assurance through industry inspection and testing. Recognizing this, USAID, through TradeMark Africa (TMA), funded the acquisition of testing equipment that is used to assess the purity of Rwanda’s key export products. Speaking at the official handover ceremony, Mr. Raymond Murenzi, Acting Director General of RSB stated that “Exports are critical to reducing Rwanda’s trade deficit, yet until recently RSB had limited capacity to test products for micronutrients and heavy metal traces. Testing for heavy metal traces was taking approximately 60 days when sent abroad, causing significant delays in the supply chain, and increasing the costs of exports. Now, the testing will be completed by RSB within seven days.” For example, in June 2014, Rwanda was added to the list of countries allowed to export...

Rwanda is set to become the first country in the region to test presence of heavy metals in food and water, thanks to new laboratory equipment donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), high technology laboratory equipment, to facilitate testing for heavy metal traces, will be handed over to the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) at the agency office in Kicukiro today. The equipment is said to be the first of its kind in the East Africa region, positioning Rwanda as a regional hub for testing samples of food, cosmetics and wastewater. The testing of mercury and arsenic in water samples, which was taking approximately 60 days when sent abroad, will now be completed by RSB within seven days, according to officials. Since its creation in 2002, RSB has been providing key services to enhance the competitiveness of Rwandan products, fair trade and consumer protection, such as quality assurance through industry inspection and testing, according to officials. The testing equipment to be used to assess the purity of Rwanda’s key export products was funded by USAID, through TradeMark Africa (TMA). In a statement, Raymond Murenzi, acting director-general of RSB, said exports are critical to reducing Rwanda’s trade deficit, yet until recently RSB had limited capacity to test products for micronutrients and heavy metal traces. “Testing for heavy metal traces was taking approximately 60 days when sent abroad, causing significant delays in the supply chain, and increasing the costs of exports. Now,...

Uganda's ranking in the 2017 World Bank's Ease of Doing Business has improved by seven places, a development that shows that ongoing business environment reforms being implemented by the government are starting to bear fruit. Uganda now ranks 115th out of the 190 assessed economies, which is a step up by seven places from the previous year while in Sub-Saharan Africa, the country ranks 12th out of 48 economies. Within the East African Community, Uganda is in third place behind Kenya and Rwanda. Uganda recorded improvements in six of the ten indicators that the World Bank uses to assess the economies. The Doing Business report, which was launched on Oct. 25 in Washington, US, recognises Uganda among the 29 economies that implemented reforms in three or more of the ten indicators. The report, released under the theme, "Equal Opportunity for All," is the 14th in a series of reports produced by the World Bank, and it basically investigates the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. The goal of the Doing Business series is to provide objective data for use by the governments in designing sound business regulatory policies. The ten indicators upon which economies are gauged include; starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. Uganda made starting a business easier by eliminating the requirement to commission and file a declaration of compliance when incorporating a company, thanks...

As Tanzania deliberates on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the East African Community (EAC) and European Union (EU), scholars have cautioned against the deal, which they have described as bad. University of Dar es Salaam's Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, Dr Ng'waza Kamatta and Dr John Jingu told Members of Parliament during an awareness seminar in Dodoma over the weekend that signing and ratification of the deal will jeopardize the country's industrialisation vision. Kenya and Rwanda have since September signed the pact but their signatures remain ineffective until all EAC member states sign it as a block. EAC Heads of State led by President John Magufuli agreed in September to delay the bloc's commitment on the deal to January next year to allow more deliberations. The deadline for EPA signing was October 1, 2016 and the bloc had called on the European Union not to penalise Kenya with huge tariffs on exports for missing the deadline as member of the bloc. The EAC and the EU have gone back and forth since 2007 on EPA, which is expected to give a reciprocal duty-free access to the EU. At stake is Kenya's horticultural exports which may be subjected to taxes to access the lucrative European Union market. The EU accounts for 31 per cent of Kenya's export market, especially for cut flowers, tea, fresh vegetables and coffee. The passing of extended deadline means the expiry of the current arrangement under which the EAC currently enjoys preferential trade benefits from...

Kampala, Uganda, 8th November 2016: The Government of Uganda and the Government of South Sudan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual collaboration and partnership in construction of a one stop border post (OSBP) in Elegu/Nimule towns on the Uganda/South Sudan border. The Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the South Sudan Ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation signed the agreement on 8th November 2016. The event was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices, Kampala. Signing the MOU on behalf of South Sudan was Amb. Joseph Ayok Anei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, while Ambassador James Mugume signed on behalf of Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The occasion was witnessed by the South Sudan delegation comprised of; Capt. David Martin Hassan, Under Secretary, Ministry of Transport; Hon.  Diu Dohl Gaduwong, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Transport; Eng. Lado Tongun Tombe, Director for Road Transport & Safety, Nosc Chairperson of Nimule/Alegu OSBP. Uganda delegation comprised of the Permanent Secretary from Ministry of Trade, the Permanent Secretary from Ministry of Works and Transport and a representative from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). Moses Sabiiti, Uganda Country Director TradeMark Africa (TMA), Michael Ojatum, Uganda OSBP Programme Manager TMA, Damali Ssali, Uganda Trade Environment Programme Manager TMA, and John Kalisa, South Sudan Country Director TMA were also present at the signing. The MOU establishes a firm relation between the Government of the Republic of Uganda and Government of South Sudan (GOSS) to...

Electronic Single Window Benefits: Traders to enjoy at least a 30% reduction in time taken to lodge import and export documentation by eliminating need for physical presence/appearance and duplicate processes in the various trade agencies; 30% reduction in transaction costs for the private sector including demurrage and administrative costs Ultimately, reduce cost of doing businesses in Uganda and improve operating environment; and Increase in Government revenue collection Kampala, Uganda, November 4, 2016: The Uganda ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), in conjunction with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), has today launched the Uganda Electronic Single Window (UESW), a paperless system that will simplify submission and processing of trade information for export and imports. The system will contribute to the reduction in time taken to import to Uganda from Dar and Mombasa ports. Denmark funded the first phase of the UESW with a USD 5 million grant channelled through TradeMark Africa. The country taxman, Uganda Revenue Authority, will host the Uganda Electronic Single Window. Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Amelia Kyambadde and the Danish  Ambassador to Uganda  H.E Morgens Pedersen officiated over the event. The single window allows for electronic submission and processing of import, export and transit related trade documents thus enhancing clearance efficiency and reducing time taken to exit cargo. Given its benefits, the system provides the key to simplifying cross border trade through enhancing sharing and exchange of real time information between customs, other border agencies and private sector stakeholders. Commenting prior to the event...

Kenya and Botswana have Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding as the two countries look to build their trade and Investment partnerships in agriculture, agri-business, ICT, Horticulture and Manufacturing among others. Speaking during the Kenyan-Botswana Forum in Nairobi, the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Adan Mohamed confirmed Kenya had been proactive in its efforts to improve relations between the two nations to capitalise on business and Investment opportunities for their mutual benefit. “We are excited at the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding as a show of commitment to strengthen our trade and investment relationship with Botswana as we seek to leverage our competitive advantages in diverse industries for our mutual benefit”, said Mohamed. “We have had productive trade connections in the past and the forum today will further that bond as we expand our portfolio of commodities to develop and diversify our economic capacity.” Following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Gaborone to attend the Botswana-Kenya Business Forum in June this year and the subsequent visit by Botswana’s President, Ian khama to Kenya in the same month, both countries have increased their joint efforts towards creating an enabling platform for increased partnerships for companies from both nations to conduct business. “Being part of EAC and COMESA trading blocs Kenya has achieved an improved status with our counterparts and this has provided us with a favorable reputation in the global economy. We now want to leverage this global perception to further the country’s economic capacity for production and...