The government has done a lot to increase capital access to special groups like women, youth and persons with disabilities, however, more needs to be done. So far, the government, through the Central Bank of Tanzania has eased borrowing and reserve requirements for commercial banks and in so doing eased lending caps of these banks. The expected result is that commercial banks can now loan out at lower rates under easier terms. It is working, many SMEs are staying afloat thanks to capital access under these terms however, for women and youth who do not possess a business or who are working in the informal sector, access to bank loans is simply out of the question, most of them do not meet the basic requirements. To address this constraint, the government sets aside a budget for youth and women groups’ support. To access this funding, youth and women are to form groups and develop a business plan and the funding is issued by their respective local government authority based on their geographical locations. This is where Direct Selling comes in. Direct Selling is the most practical solution to self-employment for youth and more so for women. Due to the nature of Direct Selling, for example, women can easily carry on their day to home obligations while conducting sales. On the other hand, Direct Selling offers secondary or alternative revenue for employed women and with growing use of digital platforms in Africa, this is a most flexible yet lucrative avenue for...

TANZANIA Women Chamber Of Commerce (TWCC) is staging Women Industrial Week fair early next month in Dar es Salaam. The exhibition will also be used as a platform to award best exhibitors, among others, at a separate event to be held a day after the fair ends. The TWCC Chairperson Ms Mercy Sila challenged women to participate in the fair’s second edition that will acknowledge women who played important economic roles to develop societies around them and the nation at large. “Women are such important organs for the growth and sustainability of any society, and there are tangible and positive economic impacts a woman can bring about when trusted and given opportunities to prove themselves” Ms Mercy said. The women chamber will use the Women Industrial Week to evaluate themselves, and hence create plans to sustain their businesses. These awards main aim is to acknowledge and honour important roles played by both successful and emerging women in industry and trade sectors. Also to strengthening and arise the spirit of entrepreneurship to women currently and future generations, and to celebrate huge success by the women in industry and trade sectors. Trademark East Africa (TMA) is the main partner and supporter of these awards for two years in a row through its programme “Capacity Building to Women Cross Border Traders in Tanzania” since 2012 aiming in building capacity and support women towards trade across the East African Countries. Through the programme, TWCC targets in reaching and support about 10,000 women in the...

Nairobi, Kenya: Food safety is central to public health, food security, and improved livelihoods through trade facilitation and sustainable development. The need to put in place stringent regulations and guidelines to ascertain such protection for the wellbeing has been defective. This is despite the Constitution of Kenya 2010 which allows for access to safe food as a fundamental right prescribed in Article 43. It sets provisions regarding safety, cleanliness, and orderliness of food and water for Kenyans. The implementation of this law to the letter has been lacking. While Article 46 states; Consumers have the right– to goods and services of reasonable quality; to the information necessary for them to gain full benefit from goods and services; to the protection of their health, safety, and economic interests; and to compensation for loss or injury arising from defects in goods or services. Again, it adds that; Parliament shall enact legislation to provide for consumer protection and for fair, honest, and decent advertising. This Article applies to goods and services offered by public entities or private persons. How hygienic are the street food vendors/ Henry Owino. Over the years, concerted efforts and initiatives have been directed at addressing the improvement of food safety systems with some degree of success. However, the situation surrounding eating habits in Kenya has changed drastically over the past three years. New and evolving technologies have been developed and implemented to produce all types of foods with the view of meeting demands for the ever-increasing population, including foods derived...

DG Zokoue, who is in Rwanda since Sunday for a week-long visit, made the remarks on Thursday, February 17, while visiting various Rwanda National Police (RNP) facilities and capabilities in Musanze and Rubavu districts. He visited the National Police College (NPC) in Musanze District, Werstern Region Police Unit (RPU), La Corniche One Stop Border Post with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Rubavu District, where he witnessed how Police controls traffic at the border and technology used. DG Zokoue lauded how RNP maintains security at the border, the available technology and the way the policy of gender equality is valued in Rwanda National Police. “I appreciate the hard work you do here at the border. The flow of people crossing borders is high, and if there is no strategic security frame work, people can cross illegally," DG Zokoue said. "I am also impressed by the technology RNP uses to surveil the flow of vehicles and the level achieved in respect of gender equality because I have seen a large number of women police officers on duties,” he added. At NPC, DG Zokoue was given an overview of the College, academic and professional courses offered and toured the Police Senior Command and Staff Course (PSCSC) wing. He also addressed Police students attending the PSCSC and challenged them to use the knowledge and skills acquired to create security improvements in their respective countries. “We thank the Rwandan leadership for this idea to establish this College. You have to follow these courses...

Christophe Bazivamo, the Deputy Secretary General of East African Community (EAC) has raised concerns over delays in implementing and expanding portability of social health protection benefits among member states. Cross-border social benefit portability is the migrant’s ability to preserve, maintain, and transfer acquired social security rights from one private, occupational, or public social security scheme to another, independent of nationality and country of residence. The scheme means migrants can bring acquired social rights such as health insurance, retirement pensions among others from their host country back to their country of residence or from their country of residence to another country where they move to for labour. Bazivamo speaks during the opening of five-day  discussions on migration issues which have gathered Regional ministers in charge of EAC affairs, those of Internal Affairs Failing to enable such portability risks impeding international labor mobility or jeopardizing individuals’ ability to manage risk across their life cycle according to experts. The proposed scheme is priority number 7 of EAC Health Sector Investment Priority Framework running from 2018 to 2028 which requires over $2.7 million to be implemented. The framework requires expansion of health insurance coverage and social health protection. Each partner state should establish and expand their National Health Insurance and social protection schemes to support the Universal Health Coverage. The member states are required to implement and expand portability of such benefits of social health protection as part of the overall social protection agenda in support implementation of the EAC common market ideals. However, Bazivamo said that this is...

Protectionism and non-tariff barriers persist between the two countries countries have varying processes which seriously delays the movement of goods due to the need for multiple certification processes across borders Harmonizing infrastructure projects key to boosting trade Tanzania Kenya EAC Trade Investment Regulations It is only through economic growth that the East African Community (EAC) can successfully realize its much-coveted regional integration. For this to happen, a delicate balance must be achieved between competition and cooperation; therein lies the dilemma, a race or partnership? As far back as two decades, in 2004, Kenya Uganda, and Tanzania, the founding partners of the East African Community, signed the Protocol for the Establishment of the East African Community (EAC) Customs Union that is known as the Customs Protocol yet to date bottlenecks remain. Three years after the founders inked the Customs Protocol, the next parties followed suit,  Burundi and Rwanda adopted the Customs Protocol in 2007. Yet they joined a protocol that is very much alive on paper but needs life support on the ground. The trouble with the integration is wrought by none other than the need to iron out competition-rooted policies among the bloc’s members. While the integration of the EAC was intended to create a large market for trade, member countries are increasingly finding it difficult to freely open their borders as per the signed Customs Protocol. The reason for this is the obvious difference in the economic development of the member states. As matters stand, numerous non-tariff barriers still remain even after the...

Summary The investors say Kenya and Africa, in general, have a myriad of glaring opportunities that need to be tapped. Last December, the African Import and Export Bank (Afrexim Bank) said it wants to pump money into Kenyan firms in various sectors as the Pan-African lender eyes an increased role in the Kenyan economy. Despite mounting concerns on political and business risks associated with the looming August 2022 general election and the Coronavirus crisis, global private equity firms are pumping billions into the Kenyan economy as they look to reap returns in the medium to long term. The private equity (PE) firms — a class of investors keen on maximising profits — have stepped up their focus on Kenyan companies renewing hopes that Nairobi is back on the global radar as an investment hotspot. An increasing number of PE firms are now competing to unlock billions of investment deals in Nairobi. The investors say Kenya and Africa, in general, have a myriad of glaring opportunities that need to be tapped. “Africa is the place to be for European development financiers. It is a continent where jobs and investments are very much needed, and at the same time, it is the new frontier where opportunities abound, and life is getting better for millions of people,” Finnfund chief executive officer Jaakko Kangasniemi explained recently while underlining why Finland’s sovereign wealth company Finnfund has chosen Nairobi as a launchpad for its regional operations. “Some of our best and most impactful investments are in...

MBABANE - Secretary General of COMESA Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe is said to have signed the Protocol on Relations between the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). Eswatini is among the 21 member States of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). According to a correspondence from COMESA, the Protocol is meant to consolidate relations with the continental mother body. Witnessed by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat and East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki, the signing ceremony took place on February 4 this year at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Protocol aims to, among other things; formalise, consolidate and promote closer cooperation among the RECS and between them and the AU through coordination and harmonisation of their policies, measures, programmes and activities in all fields and sectors in line with the principle of subsidiarity and complementarity. Signed Other Regional Economic Communities that have already signed the Protocol include the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Community of Sahel-Saharian States (CENSAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This Protocol entered into force on November 10 last year after being signed by the Chairperson of the Commission and three Chief Executives of three Regional Economic Communities. Kapwepwe was in Ethiopia attending the 40th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. The Assembly of Heads of State and...

Africa has long been a complex market for many global businesses. Trade and commerce have been fragmented across its 54 countries, with currencies, consumer insights and regulations specific to each. At the local level, consumers have often bought and sold things in open air markets, with cash or even barter of mobile phone minutes. But a recent pan-African trade deal has begun to streamline the African market, and technologies are giving consumers and businesses new on-ramps. The result? The continent and its 1.5 billion are more accessible than ever. Aubrey Hruby has advised companies in and out of Africa for the past two decades and is a senior fellow at the Africa Center at The Atlantic Council, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the co-author of an award-winning book, The Next Africa. In this month’s Signal Conversation, Hruby shared insights on how commerce is evolving and the many opportunities for businesses to engage in what is now the world’s fastest growing region. Transcript John Battelle Welcome to another Signal Conversation. I’m very excited about this one. We have with us Aubrey Hruby, who is an advisor to companies with interest in African markets, working mainly with African policymakers and Fortune 500 companies across 20 distinct African markets. She’s a senior fellow at the Africa Center at The Atlantic Council, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the co-author of an award-winning book The Next Africa. Welcome, Aubrey. So good to have you here. Aubrey Hruby Thank you, John....

Persistent unregulated market taxes/fees are hampering the progress of women operating in those places, a new survey has revealed. The study carried out between November 2021 and January (2022), titled: “Rapid Gender Impact Assessment of Formal and Informal taxes Medium Micro Enterprises and Urban Markets in Uganda”, shows that there are still many informal taxes collected in markets. Among the cited dues include garbage, security, toilet, offload and parking fees. The survey was done among 376 small businesses, including 226 female operators and 150 males at Kalerwe market, Kampala city centre, Luzira Kirombe and cross-border traders at Busia and Mutukula borders. It was undertaken by the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) and the Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA), supported by Urgent Action Fund Africa. THE SURVEY According to the survey, most of the businesses (80%) are owned by individuals that operate them (81% - women). It further indicates that even cross-border trade is more dominated by women at 73% compared to men at only 27%, as more men are engaged in the transport sector, mainly as bodaboda riders. Presenting the study at the validation meeting at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on Thursday, the research consultant on taxes, Ronald Waiswa, said the informal fees collected in markets and other informal businesses remain a burden to women, who are the majority in the sector. “As a result, these businesses do not grow. They pay so many dues, up to about sh6,000 and sh10,000...