Shirika la kutangaza chapa za biashara la Afrika Mashariki Trademark East Africa limesema, litakusanya dola milioni 160 za kimarekani kuhimiza maendeleo ya ushoroba wa uchukuzi na ugavi bila kuchafua mazingira katika kanda ya Afrika Mshariki. Mkurugenzi wa utafiti na mafunzo wa shirika hilo Bw. Anthony Mveyange amesema, shirika hilo litatafuta mitaji kutoka mashirika ya maendeleo ya kimataifa, ili kuhakikisha sekta ya uchukuzi katika kanda hiyo inaweza kupunguza utoaji wa gesi za kaboni.

Trading in Africa’s free trade area is scheduled to begin on July 1. [caption id="attachment_52480" align="aligncenter" width="656"] The African Heads of States and Governments pose during African Union (AU) Summit for the agreement to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area in Kigali, Rwanda, on March 21, 2018. AFP PHOTO[/caption] This ambitious initiative creates a single market for goods and services and a customs union with free movement of capital and business travellers–the world’s largest given Africa’s 1.2 billon population and combined GDP of over $2.5 trillion. A recent article by Landry Signé in Foreign Affairs titled “How Africa Is Bucking the Isolationist Trend,” noted that if the continental trade agreement is successfully implemented, Africa will have a combined consumer and business spending of $6.7 trillion by 2030. The stakes are high. The newly-appointed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary General, Wamkele Mene, and his team must, by necessity, prioritise communication and advocacy. In recent months, decisions have been made at an unprecedented rate, meaning that many member states are yet to fully appreciate the implications of this mammoth project. Hence the need to inform and educate on what it entails. It is imperative that before July 1, 2020, there be strategic engagement with all Ministries of Finance, Trade/Industry and Immigration on the continent to arrive at a common understanding of what lies ahead. Africa has made tremendous strides in information and communication technologies (ICTs) having heavily invested in fibre optics that would be instrumental in developing an effective communications strategy....

The 3rd edition of the EurAfrican Forum to be held on July 2nd and 3rd in Cascais, Portugal will be gathering over 700 European and African key actors from more than 60 countries; 2020 edition will look for new opportunities for both continents as it unveils its theme In Search for a Common Ground; The program will focus on key topics as Africa and Europe relations, Free Trade Agreements, Climate Change, African Arts and Culture, Infrastructure, Connectivity and Off-grid solutions. The annual meeting will gather over 700 African and European changemakers such as entrepreneurs, artists, activists, public and private decision leaders, in Cascais, Portugal, on July 2nd and 3rd 2020.“It is now time to establish a structured cooperation between Africa and Europe, engaging not only public decision makers but creating a denser network, embarking in the discussions entrepreneurs, young people, women, artists, scientists…” José Manuel Durão Barroso, Chairman of the EurAfrican Forum. Hosted by the Portuguese Diaspora Council and the Municipality of Cascais, with the High Patronage of the Portuguese Presidency, this third consecutive edition will focus on main issues such Africa and Europe relations, Free Trade Agreements, Climate Change, the influence of African Arts and Culture, Infrastructure, Connectivity and Off-grid solutions, under the theme In Search for a Common Ground. 2020 is a pivotal year for Europe and Africa as this new decade marks the unavoidable collaboration between our continents at a time when climate change, demographic challenges and the technologic revolution are central pieces of Africa and Europe’s...

The re-launched East African Community celebrated its 20th anniversary in November last year. The EAC Secretary-General Liberat Mfumukeko spoke to Luke Anami about the bloc’s journey over the past two decades. —————— What are priority areas for the EAC? Priority areas include consolidation of the Single Customs Territory and promotion of intra and extra-EAC trade; development of regional infrastructure; enhancement of free movement of persons, labour and capital as envisaged under the Common Market; enhancement of regional industrial development, agricultural value addition, skills development, technological advancement and innovation; Implementation of the roadmap towards the EAC Monetary Union; Promotion of regional peace, security and good governance, and constitution-making for the EAC Political Confederation and improvement of performance management at the EAC institutions. What is the status of Partner States’ contributions to the bloc’s budget? As at February 12, 57 per cent of the contributions towards the main Budget for the 2019/2020 financial year have been disbursed with Uganda having paid 100 per cent, Kenya 98 per cent, Rwanda 86 per cent and Tanzania 61 per cent. Burundi and South Sudan are still settling arrears for the past financial year before contributing to the current. Total contributions so far by the six partner states for the 2019/2020 financial year stand at $56,232,258. Advertisement What challenges is the Secretariat facing following delayed disbursements from partner states? Sovereign states do not fail in their financial obligations, hence a possibility for the Secretariat to enjoy a credit facility from its suppliers of goods and services....

The European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are extending the Cotonou Agreement to December this year, after failing to reach a consensus on the structure of future relations. When the EU and 79 ACP countries adopted the Cotonou Agreement in 2000, they aimed at reducing/eliminating poverty and integrating ACP countries into the world economy. EU chief negotiator Jutta Urpilainen said the blocs are looking at a post-Cotonou partnership that addresses today’s realities, meets mutual needs and champions a common vision of solidarity and progress. The current agreement that governs trade and political relations between the two blocs was set to expire on February 29. It is based on three pillars: Development co-operation, economic and trade co-operation and political dimension. Formal negotiations between the EU and ACP countries have been ongoing since October 2018 but differences on the issue of migration and trade regimes has made it impossible for the groupings to reach a consensus. Analysts say that following Brexit and with new realities particularly the emergence of China in world trade and geopolitics, ACP countries want to push for a binding agreement that addresses their interests. For Africa, mutually beneficial strategic partnerships akin to those being pursued with individual countries like UK, US, China and Russia are key. Failure to reach agreements on the economic partnership agreements, a key component of the Cotonou Agreement has exposed structural weaknesses in EU’s relationship with ACP countries, leading to prolonged stagnation in trade. “The Cotonou Agreement has benefited Africa in...

Spotted: African company, Trademark East Africa, has created an information network for small businesses in East Africa. The network aims to make their goods more competitive, by reducing trade barriers and improving transparency. Trademark’s Trade Logistics Information Pipeline (TLIP) was created to reduce barriers for trade. Traditionally, there has been no communication between all the actors involved in cross-border trade in East Africa, and this has meant that goods and services are nearly impossible to track. No individual actor along the chain can account for where a product is or how long it will take to ship. The TLIP connects small producers to foreign buyers and provides an easy-to-use information network that facilitates transparent and timely cross-border trade. Small business owners can communicate directly with foreign buyers and both parties can see how the product moves through the trade chain. This system ensures all steps in the process are synchronised, meaning that the products move from the producer to the buyer faster and with more transparency. TLIP uses blockchain technology, so all parties involved in the transaction are looking at the same source information. https://youtu.be/nxhnjUq2jx4

Nineteen years since it was formed, East African Community member states are pulling in different directions on various issues.Libérat Mfumukeko, the EAC secretary-general and head of its secretariat, spoke about the gains made, the challenges the regional bloc faces and its blueprint for the next 20 years. The heads of state summit didn’t take place as planned last year, the third time it was postponed. What went wrong? The EAC treaty requires a summit to take place at least once every year. It must also be attended by all heads of the partner states. When we convene a meeting, the secretariat sets a tentative date after which we write to the chair of the summit. The chair then consults his fellow presidents on their availability. They can delay a summit owing to other engagements. An African Union meeting, for instance, would take precedence over an EAC summit. Ours is just to convene and to facilitate a summit. What’s the position of the community on trade and border hostilities between Uganda and Rwanda? We’re a community of six countries, with agreements and disagreements. We acknowledge that some countries don’t get along very well, which is regrettable. Getting all members to agree on all regulations is a long journey. Conflicts may be of political or economic in nature, and some take longer to resolve. We can’t dictate to disputing countries on what to do. Countries generally address their own issues through bilateral talks. That said, the community intervenes using the established mechanisms....

The Personal Representative of the German Chancellor for Africa, Mr. Guenter Nooke who was on a working visit to Tanzania, yesterday held bilateral talks with EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha. The two leaders discussed development cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the EAC on matters relating to regional economic integration, with particular focus on Health and Agriculture, as well as Customs and Trade sectors. On his part, Amb Mfumukeko said the EAC and Germany have enjoyed a long standing partnership for the last 20 years, with commitments from the German Government amounting over Euros 470 million. He also requested Germany, through Mr. Nooke, to consider more support in Agriculture, Industrial development especially Agro-processing, and ICT sectors as part of institutional transformation in addition to the areas that the Federal Republic is currently supporting. Amb Mfumukeko reiterated that the EAC was deeply interested in penetrating the German and European market in general, which he described as being large and vibrant, adding that the region also hopes to benefit from technology transfer from Europe’s largest economy. Germany has long supported the EAC, and for the last 20 years spent about US$508 million to the region. The joint cooperation focuses on the areas of economic and social integration as well a health. Some of the Germany supported projects in the EAC include EAC Immunization Programme, EAC Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project, EAC Scholarship Programme; the Lake Victoria Basin...

The real impact of commerce under a Pan-African deal to establish the world’s largest free-trade area will probably only be seen in three years, according an architect of the pact. While the first trade under the African Continental Free-Trade Area, which could cover a market of 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of $2.5 trillion is set to start July 1, it will be “very modest,” Carlos Lopes, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, said in an emailed response to questions. That’s because a road map, laws and support mechanisms to facilitate continent-wide trade has to be finalized, he said. Lopes led the unit that provided technical support to the African Union, which is spearheading efforts to establish the continent-wide deal. Africa lags behind other regions in terms of internal trade, with intra-continental commerce accounting for only 15% of the total, compared with 58% in Asia and more than 70% in Europe. The African Export-Import Bank estimates intra-African trade could increase by 52% within a year of the pact’s implementation and more than double during the first decade. The agreement requires member states to work toward eliminating or lowering tariffs on 90% of goods to facilitate the movement of capital and people, and create a liberalized market for services. Tariff concessions, rules of origin and protocols governing services are still to be agreed on An agreement on tariffs could take time because countries are expected to offer concessions on an individual basis...

The 21st East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit, which was scheduled for February 29, 2020, has been postponed yet due to lack of quorum. It was initially scheduled for November 30, 2019, but was rescheduled to February 29 due to lack of quorum. In a letter sent to partner states, Secretary General Liberat Mfumukeko also postponed the 41st Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers scheduled to take place from February 25, 2020 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha. In his three-paragraph letter seen by The East African, Mr Mfumukeko says he had received a letter from the Chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Mr Olivier Nduhungirehe, saying South Sudan is unable to attend both meetings. In his letter dated February 21, 2020, Mr Nduhungirehe says a new date would be set after consultations with partner states. Quorum for the EAC Heads of State Summit is attained when all partner states are represented, according to Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure. This is in consonance with decision making by consensus under Article 12 of the Treaty. Source: The East African