TradeMark Africa has announced that it will inject about $90m (about Shs 261bn) to promote infrastructural development projects in the region. The announcement came after some data showed that trade in the region had picked up partly as a result of the ease with which cargo is cleared throughout the different corridors, an initiative that TradeMark Africa was active in facilitating. “This year we are focusing [to invest] around the same about $85 to $90m. The results presented in this annual report point to an ever-improving trade environment which is expected to spur investments and ultimately benefit the citizens of East Africa,” said Frank Matsaert, the CEO TradeMark Africa. He continued: “TMA is playing an important role as a catalyst in mobilizing around $600 million at Dar es Salaam port to improve its performance through better infrastructure and port operations. Our partnership at both Mombasa and Dar es Salaam ports involves an innovative approach, mixing hardware and software solutions.” Matsaert was speaking at the launch of their annual report 2013/2014 at Sheraton hotel in Kampala on Tuesday. He said TMA had made strides to improve informal trade across borders. He added that since traders do not usually use formal systems and structures for their transactions, it was difficult for regional trade policy initiatives to have any significant impact on their lives. TMA notes that the continued support to the national bureau of standards in achieving regional harmonisation of standards has seen 108 standards harmonized to date, 41 of which were...

The Connected East Africa 2015 Summit is an annual event chaired by the Kenya ICT Authority in consultation with key ICT industry players and key government decision makers, and 2015 marks the 7th year of such a summit. It is taking place at the Leisure Lodge Resort in Kwale Sub county, off the coast of Mombasa. The regional conference aims to address issues of building an integrated ICT infrastructure and policies in the region. The East Africa countries have formed an inter-ministerial committee which looks into breaking regional barriers in harmonization of ICT. This committee will report their progress at the Summit. The Summit also aims to establish a platform for collaboration, capacity building and knowledge sharing between government and the ICT sector with a view of linking and hastening implementation of government IT projects to world-class standards. Objectives of this 7th Edition summit will look to: To address gaps in ICT integration and shared infrastructure among the East African Member states To speed-up harmonization of ICT regulation across the region To build support on ongoing ICT integrated infrastructure projects across the East African region. To provide a platform for meaningful networking that will result in fruitful relationships that contribute to the economic development of the East African region. Set to feature a number of top speakers and an experienced panel from East Africa states and beyond to discuss issues from the objectives of the summit. The Summit is also set to feature an Award Ceremony that celebrates innovation in...

NAMIBIA'S continued dependence on imports has put pressure on the country's foreign reserves causing a N$1,8 billion balance of payment deficit for the 2014/15 financial year. Presenting the 2015/16 national budget yesterday in parliament, finance minister Calle Schlettwein said the deficit was caused by strong inflows of imports over exports. This, he explained, further put pressure on the stock of foreign reserves, although they remain sufficient to support the currency peg. He also said the deficit comes after the country enjoyed a surplus of N$598 million in 2013/14. In the monetary policy for January that was presented on 18 February this year, the Bank of Namibia said the country's reserve stocks had declined on a yearly basis by 13,7% to N$16 billion. “This was mainly due to the high import bill. Despite this pressure, the international reserves remain adequate to maintain the one-to-one link of the Namibian dollar to the rand,” the statement said. Schlettwein said Namibia should optimise trading opportunities by improving significantly on her productive capacity and avoid the trap of becoming a captive market for those countries with an ability to trade in finished goods. He also said Namibia believes in the relevance of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) as an engine for regional integration and industrialisation. About 30% of Namibia's budget is funded through SACU earnings, with the country raking in N$7,9 billion during 2011/12; about N$12 billion during 2013/14, while for 2014/15, the earnings were estimated to be N$18,12 billion. The SACU revenue sharing...

All eyes were in Dar es Salaam last week as leaders of East African Community launched construction of the East Africa’s Central Corridor railway-line that will link up land-locked countries of the region to the port of Dar es Salaam. President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi flagged off block trains to their countries from Dar es Salaam using the Central Railway line. DRC Congo President, Joseph Kabila was represented by his Minister for Transport, Justin Kalunga Mgwana Ngongo. The block trains are designated to transport exclusively, consignments directly to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, without any interruptions or delays, according to the Minister for Transport, Samwel Sitta. The cargo will be transported directly from the Dar es Salaam Port to the borders of the respective countries where they will be received by local trains. It is projected that the time used to reach the final destination will be cut down from two weeks to just two days. And hardly had the dust settled, the government announced launching of construction of a new standard gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma. and to begin this year. The Minister for Transport, Samwel Sitta told reporters in Dar es Salaam last Sunday that it is planned that the construction of the 2500 kilometres railway will be launched done in June this year. The new developments in the central corridor happen when regional countries are undertaking measures to free trade by Non-Tariff...

FINALLY, the government announced what we had been waiting to hear so eagerly. Transport Minister Samuel Sitta told reporters last Sunday that construction of a standard gauge railway to link the hinterland of the East African region with the port of Dar es Salaam will begin this year. The 2,561 kilometre long railway, estimated to cost 14 trillion/-, will begin at the port of Dar es Salaam and serve the landlocked countries of Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It will have spur lines to Kigali, Bujumbura and Masaka. The railway project, which is expected to be accomplished within five years, is meant to ease movement of cargo by rail, which is cheaper and carries more freight than road transportation. The announcement happened after Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi flagged off block trains to their countries from Dar es Salaam using the Central Railway line. The block trains are designated to transport exclusively, consignments directly to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, without any interruptions or delays. The cargo will be transported directly from the Dar es Salaam Port to the borders of the respective countries where they will be received by local trains. It is projected that the time used to reach the final destination will be cut down from two weeks to just two days. The challenges of upgrading and expanding Africa’s transport network are manifold but the rewards are enormous....

The Presidential Roundtable in Dar es Salaam gave the Central Corridor, linking Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Dar es Salaam port, the much-needed impetus as regional leaders renewed their commitment to an agreement to improve the infrastructure and facilitate access to the sea for land-locked countries. The industry and investors’ forum was co-chaired by Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, and discussed action East African Community member states must take to ease the movement of goods by improving the port, road and rail services. The main nodes of the Corridor are the port of Dar es Salaam, road network, rail and ferry infrastructure, and border crossings at Kobero/Kabanga (Tanzania-Burundi), Rusumo/Isaka (Tanzania-Rwanda) and Mutukula (Tanzania-Uganda). The Central Corridor is one of the region’s two main transport corridors. The other is the Northern Corridor linking Mombasa port in Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan by road and railway. Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete promised to minimise, and finally eliminate non-tariff trade barriers to ease trade and to develop the infrastructure at the port and along the Corridor. The meeting was also attended by Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Pierre Nkuruzinza of Burundi. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta was represented by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed and DRC’s President Joseph Kabila was represented by Minister for Transport Justin Kalunga Mgwana Ngongo. To signal its commitment to easing transportation of goods within the Central Corridor, Tanzania has recently launched block trains that transport cargo direct...

Reports that the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) has passed a law aimed at compelling member states to eliminate trade barriers and end protectionism is long overdue. It is quite worrying that despite the good intentions of the East African integration some of the partner states have been guilty of hindering smooth trade relations between them. It is our utmost hope that the Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers Bill, 2015, sponsored by the Council of Ministers and passed by the assembly will be assented to by the heads of state so as to ensure that integration within the bloc becomes a reality rather than mere talk. As stated by the Council of Ministers, the non-tariff barriers that exist in the countries that form the East African Community should be eliminated for the integration process to succeed. We concur as it would be an exercise in futility for the bloc to pass a law that is not enforceable within the borders of a partner state. The proposed law will bar the member countries from imposing any new trade barriers while seeking to identify and remove existing hurdles. We have stated before that the only way a conducive trading atmosphere can be created in the region is if all members read from the same script and avoid actions that only hamper local and regional production. Following the launch of the Common Market Protocol in 2010, many expected the transition to be smooth. However, this has not been the case as internal disputes have...

Next month, Indonesia will be hosting the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference. According to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the commemoration aspires to remind the world that Indonesia played a significant role in the anti-colonial struggle. Amidst complex contemporary global politics, it will be a challenge for Jokowi to convince the world that this Asia-Africa gathering is necessary and relevant. Institutionalizing effective cooperation between the two continents should be a priority. Ten years ago, Indonesia hosted the Asia-Africa Conference golden jubilee, out of which came the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP). At that 2005 summit, Asian and African leaders agreed to revive the 1955 Bandung Spirit, whose one aim was to advance cooperation between the two continents. The NAASP expanded the form of Asia-Africa engagement from merely non-aligned and anti-colonial rhetoric to broader cooperation. Since then, there have been several projects and programs under the NAASP banner, from diplomatic training and technical cooperation to a business forum. Nevertheless, the NAASP receives little in the way of either public attention or political will. Does the NAASP really boost Asia-Africa relations? That is unclear. Certainly, interactions between Asia and Africa are growing, especially on economic matters, but they do not appear to be driven by the NAASP. Asia and Africa currently lack any formal institutional links, despite the long-standing rhetoric of Asia-Africa solidarity. This is in contrast to Asia’s relations with other continents, which have been developed in institutions such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the Forum...

Heads of State of countries implementing Central Corridor transport projects have been urged to adopt delivery systems that will ensure timely completion of identified projects in their respective countries. The call was made by Omari Issa, Chief Executive Officer of the President’s Delivery Bureau’s (PDB) which oversees implementation of the Big Results Now (BRN) in the country. Speaking at the Central Corridor Development Acceleration Programme’s Presidential Roundtable event in Dar es Salaam yesterday, he said, Tanzania has made beyond expectation achievements with less budget in the first year of implementation because of the BRN’s discipline which emphasises on prioritisation of frameworks that are rigorous and continuous monitoring and problem solving. The discipline has been useful in addressing emerging challenges, hence, has enabled the country to make significant strides in each national priority area, including transport projects. Specifically, Issa remarked that the implementation of critical Central Corridor projects in Tanzania which are currently being tracked and monitored under BRN has yielded significant results. These include port rehabilitation, reinvigoration of the central railway line, critical roads and energy projects along the corridor, he said. Government leaders from the Central Corridor countries indicated their interest to adopt Tanzania’s BRN Delivery Methodology in the transport sector in order to fast-track implementation on all fronts. Launched in January 2014, the Central Corridor Acceleration Project, aims to see that railway, road, marine and air routes link the landlocked countries of Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with Dar es Salaam. While fasttracking infrastructure...

OVER 80 percent of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) reported through the online system developed within the tripartite COMESA-East African Community and South African Development Community (SADC) has been resolved. According to a status report presented at the ongoing COMESA policy organs meeting in Addis Ababa, 476 NTBs have so far been reported on the online system, http://www.tradebarriers.org out of which 385 have been resolved. At least seven were considered non-actionable. A press statement issued by COMESA Secretariat Public Relations Officer Mwangi Gakunga on the 18th COMESA Summit, currently, eight categories of NTBs have been identified as most restrictive to trade in the region. They included government participation in trade and restrictive practices tolerated by governments; lengthy customs and administrative entryprocedures; technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures. Others were specific limitations including quantitative restrictions, and quotas; charges on imports; transport, clearing and forwarding; and issues related to transit clearance; and other procedural restrictions. It was notable that no NTB of the SPS related category have lately been reported meaning that member states are applying the health and sanitation measures judiciously,” he said. “Part of the reason why reported NTBs take long to resolve is the different understanding the parties involved have regarding them,” says the report. Customs and administrative entry procedures lead in the number of NTBs reported at 37 percent followed by transport, clearing and forwarding with 17 percent and other procedural problems with 15 percent. The three categories account for 69 percent of the reported NTBs. “The...