Relations between the East African Community (EAC) and India are set to get better especially in the areas of trade, cultural exchange and development cooperation, following a new commitment. The India High Commissioner to Tanzania and representative to the EAC, Sandeep Arya, said his country was keen on strengthening trade and cultural ties with the five-member regional bloc which date back several centuries. Arya was speaking after presenting his credentials to the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Richard Sezibera, at the EAC Secretariat in Arusha, on Tuesday. In a statement, the Indian envoy said his country already had bilateral projects in most of the EAC Partner States particularly in health and agriculture, adding that they wanted to partner with the EAC to boost trade volumes and promote industrial growth in East Africa. Arya promised to work closely with the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Indian Exim Bank in these initiatives, noting that these partnerships should for a start be between these two institutions and the East African Development Bank (EADB) and the East African Business Council (EABC). Dr Sezibera thanked the vast South Asian country for its support to the Partner States, singling out the scholarships granted to students from the Partner States to study in India. He also cited the support granted to the Community by India in the preparation of the East African Railways Master Plan the implementation of which he said would revolutionise the transport sector in the region. India's Exim Bank has extended Lines of Credit...

TradeMark Africa has signed a deal with Kenya Trade Network Agency to facilitate the trade agenda in Kenya. The deal will see the two organizations collaborate in setting up an online trade information platform that seeks to map out and harmonize trade networks across East Africa. Trademark East Africa has been providing financial and technical assistance to conduct various single window projects across East Africa. The deal between TradeMark Africa and Kenya Trade Network Agency seeks to address areas such as minimizing time taken to complete standard import and export processes across the borders, increase user-compliance with trade procedures, and decrease the time it takes to complete documentation. This is aimed at enhancing trade facilitation under the Single Window environment. TradeMark Africa has also signed the second phase of its partnership with The Kenya Association of Manufacturers to create a better business environment for manufacturers to enhance the sector’s competitiveness in the region . The two will collaborate in implementing advocacy campaigns on Non-Tariff Barriers, trade in counterfeits as well as access to trade and market information. Source: KBC

The partnership will improve and ease trade across East Africa thus contributing to the growth on the Kenyan economy Nairobi, 24 September 2015- TradeMark Africa has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State Corporation, Kenya Trade Network Agency (KENTRADE) in the implementation of key areas of mutual strategic interest around the trade facilitation agenda in Kenya. [caption id="attachment_9480" align="alignleft" width="420"] From left- KENTRADE CEO, Amos Wangora; KENTRADE Chairman, Gen. Joseph Kibwana; TMA Kenya Country Director, Dr. Chris Kiptoo, TMA ICT Director, Alban Odhiambo[/caption] The partnership will see the two organisations collaborate in setting up an online trade Information services platform that will be able to map out trade networks and work flows as well as standardization and harmonization of trade networks and processes of participating agencies in the single window environment across East Africa Speaking during the signing, Dr. Chris Kiptoo, TMA Kenya Country Director said that the new partnership will be a great milestone in trade facilitation in the Single Window environment. “This partnership will allow us to aptly identify and prioritize agencies and organizations that can be supported on the Single Window environment and establish a joint selection criteria for system integration to facilitate a smooth transition in trade in the country.” TMA has been providing financial and technical assistance to conduct various single window projects across East Africa. They have empowered various public agencies across the EAC in developing electronic single window systems which have enabled cross-border traders to access, apply for and submit regulatory...

The Kenya Revenue Authority aims to fully automate its goods clearance and cargo tracking systems within two years as part of a strategy to seal revenue loopholes. The country losses substantial revenue through suspected under-declaration of the value of exports or theft of cargo at a time when the taxman is under pressure to meet collection targets. KRA targets a 100 per cent coverage of goods under electronic control by 2017/2018 from a current baseline of 23 per cent, a strategic plan released last Friday by commissioner-general John Njiraini showed. “We are keen on enabling business by leveraging technology to achieve full electronic service leading to enhanced operational efficiency and high customer satisfaction,” Mr Njiraini said. Kenya introduced the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) in July 2009 as it intensified its purge against dumping of transit goods in the local market. The system was particularly set to monitor movement of goods between Mombasa port and Busia and Malaba border points through which goods enter the landlocked Great Lakes region. The agency later brought on board export goods and all others under customs control as it broadened its scope to fight tax evasion. All importers, exporters, clearing agents and transporters conveying goods under customs control were ordered to install the electronic tracking equipment, phasing out tamper-prone seals. Upon the installation of the ECTS equipment, the then cumbersome practices of customs physical escort were phased out and the annual transit goods licence fees waived. Uganda in February said it would extend its...

The Memorandum of Understanding between Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) and Kenya International Freight Warehousing Association (KIFWA) signed in Nairobi on Monday this week is a  significant milestone in the Kenya’s trade logistic industry and indeed the entire trade facilitation movement in this strategic region of East Africa trading block.  With the support of our development partner, World Bank Group, KenTrade and KIFWA are taking deliberate steps to formalise their engagement and relationship that have evolved with the automation of Kenya trade logistics sector. The MoU with KIFWA is the first among many planned by KenTrade when key industry actors is geared at advancing the Government’s transformative agenda on regional trade. We value KIFWA and its national membership as important player in the ongoing reforms of Kenyan ports and cross border trade facilitation. Indeed Clearing and Forwarding Agents are our most significant stakeholders arguably because they are the crucial link between the Importers/Exporters on one hand and Permit Issuance Agencies on the other.  KIFWA therefore has a greater stake in the Kenya’s Single Window System(Kenya TradeNet System) because its aforementioned members bears the blame from the Importer /exporter and also incur personal lose not mentioning reputation damage if cargo is not cleared on time or lost because of inefficiencies.  The purpose of the MoU that KenTrade signed with KIFWA is to enable the KenTrade and KIFWA to enter into a non-exclusive, non-legally binding, collaborative relationship. This relationship is aimed at furthering the common interests of the two Parties in the...

ARUSHA, Tanzania, 22 September 2015 / PRN Africa / — Relations between India and the East African Community are set to be revitalized especially in the areas of trade, cultural exchange and development cooperation. India's High Commissioner to Tanzania and Representative to the EAC, Mr. Sandeep Arya, said his country was keen on strengthening trade and cultural ties with the EAC which date back several centuries. Mr. Arya said India already had bilateral projects in most of the EAC Partner States particularly health and agriculture, adding that they wanted to partner with the EAC to boost trade volumes and promoting industrial growth in East Africa. Mr. Arya said he would work closely with the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Indian Exim Bank in these initiatives, noting that these partnerships should for a start be between these two institutions and the East African Development Bank and the East African Business Council. Mr. Arya was speaking after presenting his credentials to the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera, at the EAC Secretariat in Arusha, Tanzania. Dr. Sezibera thanked India for its support to the Partner States singling out the scholarships granted to students from the Partner States to study in India. Dr. Sezibera also cited the support granted to the Community by India in the preparation of the East African Railways Master Plan the implementation of which he said would revolutionize the transport sector in the region. He disclosed that that one of the challenges faced by the EAC in...

It is now emerging that Kenya imports milk from Uganda to meet its shortfall. Statistics show that Kenya bought milk worth Sh520 million from Uganda last year. On its part, Kenya sold dairy products valued at Sh290 million to Uganda during the period. The milk imported by Kenyan firms is mainly in powder form and is meant to safeguard the processors' market share during the dry season when local supplies are low. Data from the East and Southern African Dairy Association shows that the milk deficit is caused by high consumption among Kenyans. KENYANS MILK-THIRST Ugandans, the statistics show, do not consume as much milk products as their Kenyan counterparts. Local processors are also taking advantage of the East African trade pacts to sell their products to the regional markets, leaving local consumers with a shortfall. The processors last year sold milk products worth Sh821 million to regional markets. World Health Organisation's statistics indicate that on average Kenyans drink 110 litres of milk per person yearly. Acute lack of milk during dry spells has created an untapped market for powdered milk. This is where Uganda's Pearl Dairy, the largest powdered milk maker in East Africa, is cashing in on. The company's chief executive Mr Atul Chaturvedi told Smart Company that the increasing purchasing power among Kenyans has created a ready market for quality milk products. "We urge people to continue consuming processed milk that is free from adulteration and harmful bacteria associated with raw milk," he said. Mr Chatruvedi said...

The first week of September saw Kampala inundated with pomp and colour as road show trucks criss-crossed the city, promoting awareness of the East African Community (EAC). We were puzzled. Puzzled because either are two parallel initiatives at EAC integration awareness, or a duplication of effort and resources. This is because we had just entered the city from the western axis, having completed the first leg of the Uganda Component in the on-going Integration for Development campaign across the five Partner States of the EAC. Spearheaded by the East African Business Council, the campaign is the exploratory phase of the implementation strategy for the East African Agriculture and Rural Development Programme. The focus of the programme is organic agriculture, based on the smallholder farmer as the unit of production. And so it was that in Uganda, over the month of August, this initiative had been piloted with two projects in western region. These are among the hundreds already mapped across the country, with target of each rural home earning a minimum of Shs3,000,000 per month through exporting high quality organic foodstuffs and related natural resources. We grew up knowing the Nyakagyera Wonder Water by its strange genesis, namely the water of the Bachwezi. This is a natural ‘stream’ hidden in a wooded gulley between two hills below Katooma Primary School, in Rugaaga Sub-county, Isingiro District. And for decades, it has been one of the sources of domestic water during the dry season. However, since March 2015, this ‘drip’ of a...

MOMBASA: Special locomotive engines to be used for laying the standard gauge railway (SGR) track have already been offloaded from Mombasa port. Kenya Railways Managing Director Athanas Maina told The Standard yesterday that the locomotives are being transported by heavy duty trailers to Mtito Andei and Emali from where the laying of the rail track will start. The Chinese contractor, China Road & Bridges Corporation (CRBC), announced that laying of the track between Nairobi and Mombasa will begin in two places in November. Officials say the exercise will start from Mtito Andei's Kathekani area towards Mombasa while the other works towards Nairobi will start from Emali. The MD said that all, save for only five per cent of land on the entire rail track corridor from Mombasa to Nairobi, has been procured. On the issue of land around the Nairobi National Park, where the SGR will pass through, Mr Maina said a joint team from Kenya Railways and the Kenya Wildlife Service has started reviewing various aspects of conservation on the project. "We have reached good consensus with the KWS Trustee Board on the need to ensure park boundaries are not altered," he said. Source: Standard Digital

The East Africa Farmers Federation is urging East African Community member countries to harmonize laws on management of natural resources. The Federation’s CEO, Stephen Muchiri says deforestation is negatively affecting agriculture which is a key sector that supports the region’s economy. Forestry is viewed as one of the most important sectors globally. In the East African region about 22 percent of the total land area excluding water bodies, is under natural forest. In sub-Saharan Africa about 65% of the total land area is being degraded due to deforestation, which is affecting important sectors such as agriculture and tourism. It is in light of this that EAC member countries have been asked to harmonize relevant laws in the management of forests and natural resources. Muchiri however blamed farmers for not conserving forests around them in their pursuit for sources of fuel. The concerns were raised during a two day meeting organized by Eastern Africa Farmers Federation, Center for International Forestry Research and the East African Legislative Assembly to oversee amendments of some clauses in the EAC Forest Management and Protection Bill 2015. Source: KBC