Kampala — The Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) has called for waiving of work permits fees within the East African Community (EAC) because they impede free movement of labour and services within the region. Speaking at their annual general meeting in Mukono last week, Mr Nicholas Okwir, the FUE board chairman, said continued issuance of work permits shows that laws regarding movement of workers and services within the EAC have not been harmonised. "We have been focusing on the activities over the last 12 months. We held a meeting of the East African Federations of Employers and it was observed that much as the region is looking at achieving the common market protocol, focusing on work permits is critical on the movement of labour and skills," he said, adding that whereas some members such as Kenya and Uganda have waived the fees, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi have not. According to Rosemary Ssenabulya, the chairperson East African Federation of Employers, much as trade had been given prominence in the integration process, the ministers in charge of labour do not regularly meet to discuss such issues. Source: The Monitor

Representatives from the International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva, currently working with African Cotton and Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF) along with a representative from Tanzania visited Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA) on Tuesday for a preliminary discussion on investment opportunities in the garment sector in selected East African countries. The countries for which the delegation sought investments are Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania under the project called “Supporting India's Trade Preferences for Africa (SITA)”, the TEA said in a press release. On behalf of TEA, V. Elangovan, Executive Committee Member and Arun Ramasamy, Chairman, Young TEA participated in the meeting. Elangovan informed the delegation about TEA, Tirupur exports and the role of TEA in the growth of exports. He also pointed out the higher customs tariff prevailing in African countries and investment made by a TEA member in Ethiopia recently. Ramasamy told the delegation about his experiences in exporting to the Pepco Brand in Africa. According to the release, the ITC's Belinda Edmonds said they would come back again after two months to meet more exporters and invite them make investment in East African countries. (SH). Source: Fibre2Fashion

South Sudan will Thursday officially become the sixth member of the East African Community (EAC) when it signs treaties to join the regional bloc. President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and his Tanzania counterpart John Magufuli who doubles up as the EAC chairman, are scheduled to sign the accession treaty in Dar es Salaam, weeks after Heads of State from the bloc approved the admission of the country that is just getting out of a civil unrest. “The summit then designated the chairperson, his excellency President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli of the United Republic of Tanzania, to sign the Treaty of Accession with the Republic of South Sudan,” the EAC secretariat said ahead of the Friday ceremony. Flags of East African Community member states. South Sudan will on April 14, 2016 officially become the sixth member of the East African Community (EAC) when it signs treaties to join the regional bloc. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP Flags of East African Community member states. South Sudan will on April 14, 2016 officially become the sixth member of the East African Community (EAC) when it signs treaties to join the regional bloc. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP The signing will set in motion South Sudan’s assimilation into the regional bloc that is currently at a common market stage. In line with the treaty, the country will be required to immediately open up its borders for exchange of goods as well as labour and capital. South Sudan will also...

His Excellencies Presidents Salva Kiir Mayardit of the Republic of South Sudan and Dr John Magufuli of Tanzania are therefore scheduled to sign the Treaty of Accession of the Republic of South Sudan into the East African Community (EAC) on Friday, April 15, 2016 in Dar es Salaam City, according to Mr Richard Owora Othieno, the Head of Corporate Communications at the Arusha- based EAC Secretariat. During their 17th Ordinary Summit held on March 2 here in Arusha, the EAC Heads of State received the report of the Council of Ministers on the negotiations for the admission of the Republic of South Sudan into the Community and decided to admit the Republic of South Sudan as a new member. The Summit then designated the Chairperson, His Excellency President Dr John Magufuli of The United Republic of Tanzania, to sign the Treaty of Accession with the Republic of South Sudan, which becomes the 6th member of the regional bloc which was revived in 1999 after the collapse of the original community in 1977. Other members of the EAC include the founding three -- Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania -- as well as Rwanda and Burundi that joined later in 2007. The admission of South-Sudan to the Arusha pivoted EAC now paves way to its neighbour, further north at Khartoum, to also be considered to become the seventh member of the regional grouping which was revived back in 1999. It was actually North Sudan, headquartered at Khartoum, which was first to apply to...

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir will sign the Treaty of Accession of the Republic of South Sudan into the East African Community (EAC) on Friday April 15th.In a statement released this morning, the East African Secretariat has said the ceremony will be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The event follows the approval by the 17th Ordinary Summit held on 2nd March, 2016 in Arusha, Tanzania, where EAC Heads of State admitted the Republic of South Sudan as a new member. The Summit then designated the Chairperson Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli of The United Republic of Tanzania, to sign the Treaty of Accession with the Republic of South Sudan. South Sudan Vice President James Wani Igga who represented the country at the EAC meeting in which South Sudan was admitted into the trade bloc has expressed optimism that the inclusion into the community will improve health, education, taxation, ICT, peace and security, migration, industrialization, agriculture and rural development for Africa’s youngest nation. Source: Star Africa

The leader of the newly admitted member of the East African Community (EAC) will, on Friday, sign on the EAC Treaty allowing his country officially commence active membership, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. “Presidents Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan and Dr John Pombe Magufuli, of Tanzania and the Chairperson of the East African Community Heads of State Summit, are scheduled to sign the Treaty of Accession of the Republic of South Sudan into the East African Community on Friday,” a joint statement from the EAC Secretariat and Tanzania Information Services (TIS) reads in part. The decision to admit South Sudan as the sixth member of the EAC was agreed during EAC Heads of State Summit in Arusha, Tanzania in March. The seventeenth Ordinary Heads of State Summit admitted South Sudan to the Community after more than three years of negotiations. The new EAC member however still needs support to be able to gradually implement all the requisite membership instruments. Provisions that were part of its admission include a transition period of three years before implementing the Customs Union. South Sudan was also allowed three years to move toward full implementation of the Common Market Protocol. South Sudan applied to join the EAC on June 10, 2011, shortly after gaining independence from Sudan. The admission of Africa’s youngest nation to the EAC means that the bloc’s market size is now 162 million people, up from 145.5 million. Juba’s bid to join the Community had suffered a setback following the mid...

Standard Bank is hosting the East Africa Trans-Regional Conference in Kenya, Nairobi from 11 to 14 April 2016 to facilitate business development between clients from the East Africa region and South Africa. Targeted at clients who have an interest in expanding their operations or partnering with businesses within the East Africa region, the conference will provide delegates with an overview of commerce and industry in East Africa, while presenting opportunities for access to the market and business development. Over three days, seventy of Standard Bank’s business banking clients from, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi and South Africa will take advantage of networking opportunities in a guided and informative environment. Dr Manessah Alagbaoso, Head of Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Rest of Africa says this is the first of a series of inter-Africa trade conferences aimed at facilitating business development. “The event underlines our commitment as Standard Bank to create effective partnerships for our clients in the region and across the continent.” Dr Alagbaoso adds that it was critical for Standard Bank, in its commitment to intra-regional, to create additional value for business banking clients by assisting them to identify services they could access, match them with much needed expertise and provide financing solutions. Standard Bank, as Africa’s largest bank, has an established and on-the-ground presence in East Africa. “We are committed to the East Africa region as indicated by our established presence in Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and recent expansion into Ethiopia. Our sector expertise and in-depth local knowledge...

The East African Community (EAC) is now successfully asserting itself as a regional trading bloc. Trade volume may have increased but dreams of monetary union are still far-fetched. Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (front L3), Rwanda's President Paul Kagame (R3), Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta (R2) and the host Tanzania's President John Magufuli (C) attend the 17th EAC Heads of State Summit in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, March 2, 2016 Photo by: Xinhua "Between 2005 and 2014, trade within the East African Community (EAC) increased by 300 percent," Dirk Smelty, business consultant with the Tanzanian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture told DW. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda formed the EAC in 2000 and introduced a customs union five years later. Burundi and Rwanda joined the union in 2007. The customs union is promoting trade and is going from strength to strength. The EAC reported that in 2005 Kenya recorded imports worth $3.5 million (3.8 million euros)and exports valued at 5.8 million dollar. By 2014 imports had doubled to $6 million and exports tripled to $18.3 million. Uganda also doubled its exports in the same period and its imports nearly tripled. Tanzania however made the biggest leap by quadrupling its exports. Trade in Rwanda and Burundi however remained low. Chinesen bauen Straßen in Kenia Several EAC projects still remain unfinished due to logistical challenges The three driving forces: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda According to Smelty, trade within the EAC is mainly benefiting countries with stronger economies including Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. "Kenya...

Convenience at minimum cost is a leading consideration for investors looking for new locations to set up enterprises. Around the world, industrial parks have become the popular vehicle for countries to provide a competitive environment for industries to take off. Technically, an industrial park is a geographically delimited area, intended for the settlement of industrial plants with proper location, infrastructure, equipment and services conditions, and with a permanent administration for its operation. Recently, Uganda announced that it is setting up 22 new industrial parks around the country. This is commendable if the government does not go back on its word by failing to put in place the basics needed to attract both local and foreign investors. It is going to be expensive, but will pay off in the long run if it is done right. All the Tiger Nations of East Asia developed industrial parks during the 1980s and early 1990s which helped attract investment especially from Japan. South Korea started in the 1960s. The government at the time adopted a strategy of concentrating industries in regions with high growth potential, rather than dispersing investments nationwide, in consideration of the country’s limited financial resources. The policy has worked out well as reflected in South Korea’s spectacular growth. Note, this is the country with the highest internet penetration in the world. Today, industrial parks are the industrial/manufacturing hubs that drive the economies of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. For the East African Community (EAC) to take advantage of a similar...

Khartoum’s letter to Arusha seeking a place in the EAC returned with negative response with the country being politely told that, in order for Northern Sudan or any other African state to be allowed in the regional bloc, it must share a common border with any of the existing member states, that is Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania or Burundi. Last month’s admission of South-Sudan to the Arusha Pivoted East African Community now paves way its neighbour, further north at Khartoum to also be considered to become the seventh member of the community which was revived back in 1999, but as of now it is all silent at the community secretariat here. It was actually North Sudan, headquartered at Khartoum which was first to apply to be allowed to join the East African Community (EAC) five year ago. However, its request was placed on hold because in order for a country to be a member of the EAC, it must share a common border with any of the initial five partner states. Efforts to find the EAC Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Richard Owora Othieno, to comment on the issue last weekend, proved futile as he wasn’t around and his phone was unreachable. South Sudan, which borders the two EAC member states - Kenya and Uganda in the South - apparently stood in-between Khartoum, but since it has now become a member, it is possible for North Sudan to re-apply and be considered to join EAC. South Sudan brought into the...