Malawi and Tanzania have launched an electronic data exchange system interface to enable verification of quantities, valuation, origin and tariffs of goods exported and transiting between the two countries. The system interface, to be managed by Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), was launched on Monday at Kasumulu Border Post in Mbeya, Tanzania. Before the system, data was being exchanged manually, leading to delays and movement of contrabands from Malawi to Tanzania or vice versa without detection. In his presentation, MRA custom systems and procedures manager Andrew Mtukuleni said the collaboration will promote trade facilitation, enhance revenue collection, and secure the movement of goods under imports, exports and transit regimes. “We now anticipate advance exchange of trade data for risk management purposes and increased detection of contraband leading to secure supply chains,” he said. MRA corporate services executive director Agnes Katsonga-Phiri said the system will enable the institution to know how much revenue would be collected. She said: “Having the system can be an achievement on its own, but if the human capital does not change mindset, we will not achieve much. “We expect honesty and those traders should not stand for too long before being assisted.” TRA deputy commissioner general Mcha Hassan Mcha said smuggling remains a major challenge. “We think that with this system interface, we will reduce the malpractice because it simplifies the procedure as most traders will be using it rather than going to unofficial routes,” he said. The system interface has been...

In Summary Stakeholders said although efficiency at the Mombasa port has improved, there is still a lot of room for even further improvement. The on and off delays in cargo delays experienced at the Mombasa port over the past few years have had a significant impact on trade, they said. Stakeholders in the shipping and logistics sector have called for more collaboration between the government and the private sector to create a better and more enabling environment for trade. Led by Kenya Ships Agents Association chair Sylvester Kututa, the stakeholders said although efficiency at the Mombasa port has improved, there is still a lot of room for even further improvement. The on and off delays in cargo delays experienced at the Mombasa port over the past few years has had a significant impact on trade, they said. In 2021, the ship dwell time was 4.3 days, an improvement from 2020 which was 4.4 days, but the stakeholders at the Trade Facilitation and Maritime Investment Workshop in Mombasa called and said more can be done. “We are in the business of supply chain and logistics where all cargo and ships need to be moved seamlessly, meaning no stopping as much as possible. “When we have ships waiting to berth, that is inefficiency. It gets paid for by somebody somewhere in high costs of importation of exportation,” Kututa said. In 2021, shippers in Kenya paid over Sh2.5 billion in storage, a slight improvement from 2020 when shippers paid Sh3.6 billion in demurrage....

Women traders and entrepreneurs under their umbrella body Uganda Women’s Entrepreneurs Association (UWEAL) has launched an online integrated information application named Isoko, which will provide a regional marketplace to buy and sell goods, vital trade and market information, business management tools including bookkeeping, and networking opportunities for fellow traders. The platform, which was developed in partnership with Trade Mark East Africa with support from Global Affairs Canada, will serve to bring together women traders from the five countries in the East African Community of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. While launching the platform in Kampala, Anna Nambooze, the Trade Mark East Africa country director, said that through their studies about the trends in trade, they recognised that women’s contribution to trade has remained low due to various non-tariff barriers, such as lack of information that impacts negatively on their activities. So, Isoko was conceived to address the information gap and empower women with the tools they need to increase their trade. “By ensuring easier access to information, Isoko will be instrumental in promoting market integration and increasing the competitiveness of large, medium, and small-scale women traders to participate in new market opportunities. “By making it possible for information about market de- mand to be easily available and accessible, Isoko will also serve to spur the development of markets and value chains within the industry,” Nambooze said. The chairperson of UWEAL, Sarah Kitakule, noted that though there is a high concentration of women in trade, they continue to face a...

The Kenyan government has announced plans to decongest trucks at its Malaba border with Uganda within three weeks. The development was announced by the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Francis Kipchumba Morukomen, during an intergovernmental meeting at the newly constructed Kenya Railways In-land Container Terminal in Malaba. While addressing the press on Saturday, Kipchumba noted that “congestion of trucks at the Malaba one stop border point interrupts business along the great North Corridor.” To avoid that, the Kenyan government is now considering establishment of a border committee that will be responsible for quick response to future bottlenecks and addressing non-tariff barriers to reduce on the cost of business. Kenya will also increase on the number of scanners, storage facilities as well as widen the trailer parking yard to accommodate the increasing volumes of trucks on transit through the Malaba border in a bid to overcome several challenges. "We hope the measures will address the bottlenecks. Some measures will include expediting completion of roads currently causing the delay in scanning of goods," Kipchumba said. Kipchumba’s remarks come at a time when the Ugandan government has recorded an increase in empty trucks that build a stretch of over 15 kilometers, pending clearance at the Malaba border Point along the Malaba-Jinja Highway. Meanwhile, Uganda’s state minister of works Musa Ecweru assured the gathering that government is determined to partner with the East African Community to ensure smooth running of business across the region. According to him, Uganda has renewed commitments that include construction...

LOCAL women entrepreneurs will now find it easier to sell their products in the domestic and regional markets after the launch of an online trading platform, iSOKO which is designed to support women in trade across East Africa. The online platform was launched in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday by Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) through the support of Global Affairs Canada It enables women traders advertise and sell their products and services to customers in Tanzania and East Africa and provides access to different trade and regulatory information that relates to their businesses. Already 3,000 women traders in Tanzania have registered in the platform and some have begun selling their products and services through the portal that can be accessed through a mobile telephone by downloading an iSOKO application, said Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director, Mwajuma Hamza at the launching event. The Director of Policy and Planning in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Trade, Needpeace Wambuya, who was the guest of honour in the launching event, challenged TMA and TWCC to facilitate women entrepreneurs to capture the lucrative Democratic Republic of Congo market as well as that of South Sudan. “If our women traders manage to capture the DR Congo market, the economy will rise more significantly,” said Mr Wambuya who had represented the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Ashatu Kijaji. He said local women traders should take advantage of the online trading platform to access wider markets...

Hon. Ing. Yaw Osafo Marfo, Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic of Ghana, has emphasized the significance of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway in achieving the benefits associated with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area in a key note address on behalf of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo. The Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic of Ghana commended the Ministers of Roads Infrastructure of the five (5) Corridor Member Countries namely, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin and the ECOWAS Commission for their sustained effort to the corridor highway project and strong collaboration to seeing it materialized. The former Finance Minister of the Republic of Ghana recalled discussions in 2003 during his tenure as Finance Minister of Ghana on ways to improve development in the ECOWAS region to include the development of a common payment system and the need to develop a regional road infrastructure. “The first idea was to look at a common payment system within ECOWAS and secondly everyone in the room agreed that we should look for money to do road infrastructure in the sub-region because at the end of the day, movement of goods and people will require the needed infrastructure.” Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo recalled. He expressed excitement over the assurance of AfDB to raise the required funds for the highway construction. “I was so happy to hear from AfDB that raising funds is their business, they are good at...

To break into new markets, commodities testing will be a crucial part of ensuring that goods are safe and meet regulatory standards according to David Livingstone Ebiru, executive director at UNBS. As the government continues to encourage entrepreneurs to add value to their products, the need for efficient and reliable standards laboratories across the country has become increasingly important, experts say.  Uganda has set a revenue target of $6b (about sh21.6 trillion) in non-oil exports in the next six years, to stave off growing unemployment, restore sustained growth in key sectors and increase value addition in agriculture. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, an ambitious and far-reaching initiative that has the potential to transform several businesses will need entrepreneurs to significantly improve product standards. To break into new markets, commodities testing will be a crucial part of ensuring that goods are safe and meet regulatory standards according to David Livingstone Ebiru, executive director at UNBS. Ebiru said the government is also looking for market for certified Ugandan products. He said standards have also been harmonised within the East African Community partner states to facilitate the trade of products. David Livingstone Ebiru, UNBS executive director “We have already signed mutual standards with all the standards agencies. East Africa is now having a common standard. You have to take up these opportunities to make sure you trade in all these countries,” he said. He was speaking during the commissioning of the third regional standards laboratory in Mbarara city to serve...

May 23, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The Government of Canada is committed to increasing and diversifying trade and investment opportunities with African partners as part of Canada’s overall export diversification strategy and to benefit both Africans and Canadians. Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, announced the launch of public consultations on the Canada-Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy (CA-ECS). These consultations are aimed at ensuring that the CA-ECS will create sustainable, inclusive and long-term trade and economic partnerships between Canada and the African continent. Canadians and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to join the discussion until July 31, 2023. Quotes “Work has been underway to deepen Canada’s relationship with Africa, and the launch of today’s public consultations takes this progress another step further. Your feedback will ensure the Canada-Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy supports the creation of meaningful commercial opportunities across our continents and equips Canadian entrepreneurs with the tools they need to diversify and grow.” - Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Quick facts Africa’s is home to 5 of the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world, and once fully implemented, the African Continental Free Trade Area will be equivalent to the world’s fifth-largest economy, with the potential for a combined GDP of more than $4.6 trillion. The first Canada-African Union Commission Trade Policy Dialogue, held on May 17, 2023, offered opportunities to discuss trade policy issues of mutual interest and will contribute...

Arusha. The United States has pledged to support the private sector growth in East Africa and invested more than $ 40 million to the blue economy in Zanzibar. The commitment was made by the American ambassador to Tanzania Michael A. Battle during his visit to the East African Business Council (EABC) head office in Arusha on Thursday. "We are focused on promoting the growth of the private sector and sustainable economic development in the East African Community (EAC) region", he said. According to him, some $40 million has been injected by the US investors for the development of various segments of the blue economy in the Isles. These are fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal marine and maritime transport, tourism, energy and other marine ecosystem services. Mr Battle, who is also accredited to the EAC, paid a visit to the EABC offices to explore areas of partnership aimed at strengthening East Africa- USA trade and investment ties. EABC executive director John Bosco Kalisa told the US envoy that the bloc was open for business. "There is a political goodwill from the EAC Heads of State to improve trade and investment climate in the region,” he pointed out. He said the admission of DR Congo has expanded the bloc's market to $305.3 billion and a total population of 283.7 million. The EAC has conducted a verification mission to assess Somalia's readiness to join the Community as the eighth member. Mr Kalisa further stated that the regional business body was committed to promoting...

Kenya has last week began transporting horticultural produce by sea in a move officials say will reduce the carbon footprint and improve earnings. This follows a pact with the European Union, one of Kenya’s major export destinations, to transport fresh produce via sea after Mombasa port complied with requirements. The port of Mombasa has already installed 795 reefer plug-in points and enforced a 24-hour cut-off acceptance time for fresh produce, aimed at decongesting the facility and attracting more horticulture dealers. Reefers are special refrigerated containers to keep goods fresh for longer. It means all verification of perishable goods by regulatory agencies will be done at the point of loading and permit approvals granted at the single window system to facilitate track-and-tracing. With the installation of the reefers, Kenya intends to use Mombasa to end dependency on air freight for horticulture produce. Consumers, especially in Europe, are on the frontline of this push for a radical decarbonisation of value chains that deliver fresh produce to their supermarket shelves and dining tables. Several companies have started to use sea freight for export of flowers, vegetables and fruits but the sector is now aiming for a transformative and larger shift in the push for climate change action. Decarbonisation EU head of delegation to Kenya Henriette Geiger, speaking at the port of Mombasa during the official start of export and engagements to map out the transition on Wednesday, said the shift from air to sea freight will allay growing concerns about air transport’s large...