Foodborne diseases are thought to impose a health burden on society comparable to the "big three": malaria, HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis. Common foodborne diseases affect tens of millions of people every year. They include salmonellosis, which causes stomach upsets, norovirus, which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea, and listeriosis, which can cause severe infections of the bloodstream and brain. Children and people with weak immune systems are affected most. Foodborne diseases can enter the food supply chain - from the farm to our tables - at many stages. For instance, most low-income consumers source their foods from informal markets. For food to get to these markets, there are many actors involved and this makes it difficult to regulate activities. Infrastructure that supports good hygienic handling of food in these markets, such as potable water and refrigeration, is normally lacking. Meat, fish, seafood and fresh vegetables are the most risky from a food safety perspective. This is because they act as a reservoir for many pathogens and provide an excellent medium for pathogens to survive and grow. Cereals are less of a food safety risk as they are not handled multiple times, and present a less attractive medium for pathogens to survive. We wanted to know whether the COVID-19 pandemic's restriction measures were having an effect on food safety. To understand the extent of the problem in East Africa we surveyed experts on food safety in the region. The countries included in this study were all those in the East African Community (except Rwanda) along with Ethiopia. Data were collected in...

The East African Community (EAC) will this financial year prioritise harmonisation of air charges and taxes in a bid to reduce the cost of intra-EAC air travel, according to Mr Adan Mohamed, the Council of Ministers chairperson. While reading the EAC 2021/22 budget, Mr Mohamed, who is also Kenya's Minister for EAC, said the civil aviation and airports sub-sector, although there has been some delays, will focus on implementation of the EAC Upper Airspace Seamless Operations earmarked under the 2017-22 project. During this financial year, he said, the region will implement strategies that seek to reduce the cost of intra-EAC air tickets and air operations. This, Mr Mohamed noted, will be achieved through harmonisation of air travel-related charges and tax regimes, which feed into the price of air travel. EAC has one of the most expensive flight routes, with Entebbe-Nairobi taking the lead. However, despite the high cost, air travel within East Africa has been growing, rising by 3.4 per cent in the past decade against a global rate of 5.5 per cent. It is estimated that 43 per cent of air ticket prices in EAC comprise of regulatory charges and taxes, with regulatory fees accounting for up to 24 per cent. According to a research commissioned by the East African Business Council about air liberalisation, it was found that harmonisation could lead to a reduction in air fares by 9 per cent. The reduction, the report noted, would lead to a 41 per cent increase in frequencies, which in...

One prediction at the outbreak of COVID-19 was that Africa could be the epicentre of fatalities from the pandemic. This hasn't happened. The record of rate of infections, fatalities and recoveries shows that Africa is the second least affected region of the world. The fear that Africa would be the epicentre of the pandemic was fuelled by a few factors. One was the presence of overcrowded informal settlements. Another was weak systems in many countries and the inadequate number of medical personnel across the board. In addition, hospitals lack critical equipment such as testing kits, personal protective equipment and oxygen machines. Most countries adopted national strategies, such as closing borders. Others took a more regional approach. In a recent study I looked at what role regionalism played in containing the pandemic. The porous borders between many countries in Africa presented additional challenges – as well as opportunities – for a regional response to COVID-19. I concluded that a regional approach did help in containing the pandemic because of the opportunity it provided for sharing resources, information, training and testing. For example, effective monitoring and deployment of testing equipment at the borders contributed to limiting cross border transmission of the virus. But I also concluded that, for the future, there is a need to build more regional health infrastructure that can help the continent manage new epidemic outbreaks. Reasons for a regional approach Since March 2020, African countries have adopted various measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond the national responses...

WTO members had a first exchange on 11 June on how to monitor Aid for Trade ahead of next year’s Global Review. The discussions at the Committee on Trade and Development were informed by a 10 June workshop on the circular economy. The committee also received updates from donors, international organizations and South-South partners on their Aid for Trade activities, including on “green” projects that promote economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Committee on Trade and Development Aid for Trade Session The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) exercise that will underpin the Aid for Trade Global Review, due to take place in mid-2022, was one item discussed by members at the meeting. Ambassador Mujtaba Piracha of Pakistan, the chair of the committee, outlined the process that he envisaged would lead to the Aid for Trade Global Review based on the theme “Empowering connected, sustainable trade”. The need to facilitate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was highlighted by some members as a theme to be explored. Members noted that the Aid for Trade Stocktaking event last March was a first attempt to survey the trade impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another theme that several delegations highlighted as a topic for consideration was the gender dimension to Aid for Trade and how it can contribute to the work in the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender. Several WTO members provided overviews of their Aid for Trade activities. The European Union updated members on the European Green Deal and the Third Gender...

Unity across the greater Horn of Africa has long been a cherished but elusive objective. But with the recent opening of the Moyale One Stop Border Post, there is renewed impetus to establish closer economic and political ties among Horn of Africa countries. Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Moyale chapter chairman Ali Muumin told Nation.Africa that the opening of the crossing is crucial for regional integration. “We hope that the full operationalisation would mark the end of the previous bottlenecks that hindered trade and access,” he said. He cited bureaucratic delays, high taxes and tariffs as some of the main challenges that have for decades hampered closer ties, including enhanced trade between Kenya and countries such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Egypt. Exports from southern Ethiopia and Djibouti, he said, often found their way to Djibouti warehouses before being redirected to each other's market shelves via Djibouti ports. Lower tariffs Harmonised and lower tariffs on goods from the region entering Kenyan markets will also stimulate trade among partners and make it more lucrative to export goods to these countries than to other African nations. KNCCI Marsabit chapter chairman Hajji Adano Gure also reiterated the need to reform existing regional institutions to boost regional trade. A major cause of the shortcomings in regional integration efforts, he said, was the failure of African leaders to consult citizens when designing integration strategies and programmes. Small-scale manufacturers, he said, face difficulties when they try to get the required import or export...

Global Britain should look towards supporting the development of Africa’s digital landscape, argue Pauline Girma and Oona Palmer (LSE). In this post, they explain that given that seven of the ten fastest-growing internet populations are located in Africa, and that it is home to what is the youngest population in the world, the future growth of the global e-commerce market depends upon unlocking the continent’s potential. The British Prime Minister has invited President Ramaphosa of South Africa to join the G7 summit in Cornwall, England in early June. The summit will discuss among other things trade and the digital economy. A number of African states are taking part in the WTO negotiations on digital trade, but South Africa has opposed the whole idea of the current WTO negotiations on the topic. Africa presents both significant opportunities and challenges for those looking to expand e-commerce. Despite changing demographics and improving business environments, which have contributed to rising household consumption, infrastructural and technical constraints continue to undermine efforts to scale e-commerce, and hinder Africa’s integration in the global digital economy. Fewer than a quarter of Africa’s roads are paved according to the World Bank, and even the relatively large markets of Nigeria and Kenya struggle with access to electricity. Moreover, the lack of widespread internet connectivity remains a fundamental barrier to the uptake of e-commerce in Africa, with less than one-third of Africans able to access the Internet. Yet the potential for the widespread adoption of e-commerce to facilitate technological ‘leapfrogging’ has...

Country Financing Roadmap aims to increase private investments Nation first in Africa to launch Country Financing Roadmap To benefit $431.6bn financing gap to meet SDGs Once again, Nigeria was left in the lurch by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to pick its West African neighbour Ghana, as the launch area of the first Country Financing Roadmap (CFR) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. Ghana is the first country in which the CFR was released. It is piloting the initiative which will serve as a blueprint for other countries. The effort is funded and supported by the European Commission (EC) and the Danish International Development Agency (DIDA). The Country Financing Roadmap is a new country-led approach developed with the WEF to improve long-term competitiveness and bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life. The CFR presents a set of country-led plans to encourage greater financing at scale, especially private-sector participation, to meet the SDGs by 2030. The CFR has focused on financing sustainable infrastructure, a key indicator and driver of economic growth and development, which often hampers the ability of a country to attract sizeable investment if left behind, according to the World Bank. The CFR also focuses on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector as it represents about 85 per cent of business within the private sector and contributes to 70 per cent of GDP, according to the report. According to WEF, the Country Financing Roadmap aims to increase private investments to help close the $431.6...

Africa is regarded as the new business frontier of global trade and investment. This despite numerous challenges such as lack of proper infrastructure and access to capital. In it’s most recent report for 2020, Deloitte and Touche outlines countries with most ideal environment for investment. Herein is a snapshot of most appealing countries: Mauritius The modest Indian Ocean island, which is best known for its exquisite white beaches and lush lifestyle, is fast becoming one of the hottest investment destinations and foremost business hubs on the African continent. Being likened to one of the leading real estate and business hubs in Asia is no small achievement. The fact that Mauritius is on a mission to make itself more attractive as an investment environment is clear from its progressive and highly favourable tax regime. Mauritian tax planning advantages include no capital gains tax; no inheritance, wealth or gift tax; a standard 15per cent individual tax rate; and no exchange control. Corporate tax is set at a rate of 15per cent or lower, while the country also boasts a strong tax treaty network. Cote D’ivoire Côte d’Ivoire has enjoyed a vibrant, robust, and stable economic growth since 2012, but experienced a slowdown in 2020 owing to the Covid-19 crisis. Prior to the global shock triggered by the pandemic, Côte D’ivoire had one of the most robust economies in Africa and in the world and had grown at an annual average rate of 8 per cent since 2012. The country remains Francophone West...

This year has welcomed AfCFTA, the pan-African free trade agreement. As of 1st January 2021, AfCFTA has brought in new business standards for 41 countries and 1.2 billion people to increase economic growth across the continent. Alongside that has been an acceleration of digital transformation in the region, heralding a new era of technological advancement. AfCFTA introduces updated trading rules that lower import-export taxes, make commerce more affordable, and increase transaction volume. It means banks in the continent will be primed for pan-African service, a priority that will adjust the importance of ease of payment. Since we began operating in South Africa in 2006, there’s been steady progress toward digital adoption and seen remarkable changes over the past decade. We’ve also been instrumental in implementing change. For example, we were behind the first contactless payment ever made in Ghana. Yet, the explosive growth that has unfolded at lightning speed over the past two years has not been comparable to anything that has come before. There are examples everywhere you look. TymeBank South Africa acquired 3.2 million bank customers in 17 months of operation, making it the world’s fastest-growing independent digital bank. Over 50% of its customer base are active each month, and its deposits have been rising at around 10% per month, with the fastest growth among women clients representing 50% of their customer base. TymeBank has close partnerships with retailers for cash in and out and tends to go where their customers shop for essential items. This has been...

The much-awaited Moyale One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) on the Kenya-Ethiopia border has finally commenced operations. This means that the border regulatory officials clearing traffic, cargo and persons from both Ethiopia and Kenya will now relocate to Moyale and sit side by side on either side of the border, where they will undertake exit and entry formalities in a joint and/or sequenced manner. The move follows the official launch of Moyale OSBP in December 2020, by both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It has raised hopes to bolster trade and cooperation between the two countries. Moyale OSBP will be the first of its kind in Ethiopia and the fifth for Kenya with other operational OSBPs being Busia, Malaba, Namanga and Taveta. Speaking at the commencement meeting, Mr Mengistu Tefera, Ethiopia’s head of delegation and Special Advisor to Commissioner-General Ethiopia Customs Commission said, “The people of Ethiopia and Kenya deserve to tie their economic and social relations under the principle of mutual benefit. The establishment of the OSBP will have a significant role in improving cross border trade and free movement of people.” A fully functional OSBP is expected to reduce the border crossing time by at least 30 percent, to enable faster movement of cargo and people. “Today, with the collaboration of both governments, development partners; the legal frameworks, construction, supplying office infrastructure and ICT technology and solar power of Moyale are fulfilled and ready for operation,” said Kennedy Nyaiyo, Kenya’s head of delegation and the Secretary...