This multi-stakeholder dialogue will engage some of the region’s most influential policymakers and private sector actors and we believe that your participation and insights will help us generate a meaningful and impactful discussion on the future opportunities for deeper and wider integration as a tool for enhancing economic development and fostering sustainable development. Today, East African countries integration efforts are at a crucial juncture. The region is facing a complex web of closely interlinked and overlapping trade integration opportunities at the multilateral, regional and bilateral level, with a variety of partners. On the one hand, efforts towards increased convergence among existing regional integration process such as EAC, SADC and COMESA in the context of the TFTA and subsequently the CFTA initiative, raise significant complexities but also an enormous potential to unleash major economic gains. On the other hand, East Africa is developing significant trade and investment relationships with rapidly growing emerging economies such as India or China. The region also maintains close links with large traditional trading partners albeit through somehow more asymmetrical relations. Finally, East Africa needs to position itself vis-à-vis recent trends towards the negotiations of so-called mega-regional initiatives outside the continent such as the TPP, TTIP or RCEP. This event will provide a space for an open and interactive dialogue among key stakeholders including policymakers, experts, private sector actors and representatives from IGOs and RECs on the opportunities that enhanced trade integration, at the regional, continental, and global levels, can bring in terms of achieving of sustainable...

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Roberto Azevêdo has called for solutions to the remaining issues of the Doha Development Agenda ahead of the 10th Ministerial Conference scheduled for December 15-18 in Nairobi, Kenya.  The potential emerging deliverables for the Nairobi conference include LDC and development outcomes on export competition in agriculture, and a number of provisions to improve transparency in several issues being negotiated, Azevêdo said. “The view emerging from many of the meetings in which I have participated is that a set of deliverables is within reach which has the potential to make the Ministerial Conference a success and to help us move our work forward. And, crucially, there is the common view that those deliverables should have development and LDC issues at their heart,” he said. Azevêdo was addressing a meeting of all WTO members in Geneva on Thursday to report on the current state of play in negotiations on the remaining issues of the Doha Development Agenda. He urged members to seize the opportunity that Nairobi represents, saying the conference should deliver substantive support for growth and development. “Time is short. It is essential that we have an answer to this question within the next month. Once we have a clear picture of what the Nairobi outcomes might look like, then we can work hard to deliver them,” he said. Azevêdo is expected to continue consultations at forthcoming meetings of the G20, the African Union, the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, and of...

The East African Business Council (EABC) and Innovation Norway have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) committing to work together on various priority areas on trade. The MoU was signed, yesterday, by Innovation Norway's chief executive Anita Krohn Traaseth and EABC chair Denis Karera, in a ceremony witnessed by the Norwegian Minister for Trade and Industry, Monica Maeland, and the Secretary General of the East African Community, Richard Sezibera, at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. Innovation Norway is the Norwegian government's instrument for innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry. The agency supports companies in developing their competitive advantage and to enhance innovation. Under the five-year deal, EABC and Innovation Norway will work together on trade facilitation; joint activities that are beneficial to both institutions, including conferences, trade missions; and business to business engagement both in EAC, and Norway and other Nordic countries. According to a statement, some of the main areas of cooperation will be in the petroleum and education sectors with the latter focusing on the information and communication technology sector. The two parties further agreed to increase market access through information sharing; promote investment in both regions, as well as capacity building and technical assistance. Earlier on, Norwegian minister Maeland, and Sezibera held bilateral talks on possible areas of cooperation between Norway and the EAC. The talks focused on the upcoming negotiations between the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) and the EAC. Sezibera informed Maeland that the EAC Council of Ministers was quite positive about...

MEMBERS of the private sector and the government have been advised to consult each other and see how they can solve challenges that impede Tanzania to take advantage of the readily rice market in the East African countries. A Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) consultant, Dr Halima Noor, told a news conference during a high level policy dialogue for rice value chain stakeholders that Tanzania was not utilising her potential in producing and selling rice in East Africa. "Something should be done now in this important rice sub sector," she said in Dar es Salaam over the weekend. Tasked by TPSF, Dr Noor presented a paper titled 'A Policy Scoping Study on Improving Rice Exports to the EAC region by the Tanzania private sector.' The meeting organised by TPSF and Trade Mark East Africa was attended by members of the private and public sector from within and EA countries. The study found out that several challenges face Tanzanian business persons such as 75 per cent tariff when exporting rice to Uganda and Rwanda which is contrary to EAC laws. The rice which is subject to 75 per cent tariff is the one imported from outside the region mainly from Asia. However, some EA countries claim that Tanzanian businessmen sell to them rice which is illegally mixed with the one imported from Asia. The meeting recommended setting up of Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) offices and verification machines in all border areas to strengthen quality control measures and curb smuggling. Another...

Kenya’s exports to Uganda in July more than doubled, underscoring the latter’s position as the country’s key destination of goods. New economic data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show that East Africa’s biggest economy exported goods worth over 90 million U.S. dollars to Uganda in July, from 44 million dollars in June. It is the first time in trade relations between the two nations that Kenya has exported goods worth that much in a month to Uganda. Kenya’s exports to the country have been averaging 43 million dollars a month since the year began and 33 million dollars in the past years. The surge, therefore, is an indication of how crucial Uganda is to Kenya as a trading partner in the East African community. Uganda imports from Kenya livestock products, in particular meat and milk, an assortment of manufactured goods, fuel through the port of Mombasa, cement, steel bars, common salt and beer. In the first half of this year, Kenya’s exports to Uganda totalled 253.5 million dollars, a rise from 238 million dollars during a similar period last year. Last year, the country’s exports to Uganda stood at over 578 million dollars, a drop from 622 million dollars in 2013. On the other hand, Uganda exported to Kenya goods worth 171 million dollars in 2014, up from 152 million dollars. While Uganda’s exports to Kenya, which mainly consist of agricultural produce, have been consistently rising in the last five years, Kenya’s to the country have been dropping....

The World Trade Organisation is holding its 10th Ministerial Conference (MC10) in Nairobi from 15 to 18 December. Foreign Minister Amina Mohammed will be chairing the conference. It will be a challenging undertaking. The minister was expressing a common African sentiment when she said (in Geneva on July 1) that the Doha Development Agenda negotiations cannot be concluded without "credible" developmental outcomes in Nairobi. She went on to say African countries will blame Kenya for hosting the 10th ministerial meeting in Nairobi when all their developmental demands are pushed under the carpet for concluding the round.  Need for East Africa and Africa to Unite at the MC10 Minister Amina is right. Oduor Ong’wen, the executive director of the ODM, congratulated the minister for her statement. In times like this, all nationalist forces must join hands and not let the WTO divide and rule the nation (or the region, or Africa). I write as chairperson of SEATINI (Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute). I was also, from 2004 to 2009, the executive director of the South Centre. The SC is a policy and research think tank of the global South based in Geneva. It was founded among others, by the late Mwalimu Nyerere. SEATINI is an NGO. Since 1997, we have been engaged in developing technical and negotiating capacity of East African trade negotiators in Geneva as well as in the capitals of East African countries. We have also been working with national MPs and members of the...

African countries are expected to lobby for more access to the duty free global market for agricultural products at the upcoming World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Nairobi. Top on the agenda during the December 15-18 meeting is the issue of reduction of agricultural subsidies and implementation of domestic support measures to reduce competition from exports from developing countries. According to Peter Kiguta, EAC Director General of Customs & Trade, African countries are already negotiating on how to present these key issues to the other partners for negotiations. “This is the right time is Africa lobbying for support from developing countries to comprehensively address their issues,” said Mr Kiguta. African countries are seeking to address the issue of agricultural subsidies, “anti-dumping” barriers by rich countries like the US, Japan and Korea that restrict exports of agricultural products, steel and other goods from developing countries; the impact of lower industrial tariffs on domestic industries in many African countries; and the failure of the rich countries to provide adequate technical assistance to enable developing countries to comply with trade regulations and compete effectively. READ: Africa to negotiate for better terms at WTO meet READ: Africa to negotiate for better terms at WTO meet 
“Under the WTO, African countries have been forced to open their markets to cheap imports that undermine domestic agriculture and industry while rich countries have failed to lower their own trade barriers, which cost developing countries some $100 billion in lost opportunities,” said Mr Kiguta. He added that instead of...

Maize farmers are staring at a crisis, owing to the East African trade protocol that is increasingly allowing import of cheaper maize from Uganda and Tanzania. Uganda, whose harvesting season started in August, has already imported to Kenya huge quantities of cheaper maize, creating panic among farmers in the North Rift, Kenya’s food basket. The farmers are set to start harvesting in a month, just like those in Tanzania.  The EAC Protocol allows free movement of goods between East African countries — with the exception of sugar, which Kenya has restricted to protect its industries and farmers. The protocol also opposes the capping of maize prices by respective governments, in favour of market forces. Kenya, a net importer of maize, has been under pressure to implement the protocol fully. It traditionally depends on Uganda and Tanzania, which are surplus producers, to bridge the gap. But the two countries have been unable to fully exploit the market due to price setting by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB). The board is the largest buyer of the staple grain and acts as the country’s maize central bank. When it sets a price, dealers adjust their prices accordingly, creating a ripple effect at both production and consumer levels. The price of maize across major towns is currently Sh2,900 for a 90-kg bag, except in Kisumu where it is retailing at Sh3,100. But maize from Uganda is already in the country, going for between Sh1,200 and Sh1,500 per bag in Eldoret. This is...

East African ministers will, next month, head to Beijing for the annual Africa Power and Infrastructure Forum (AIPF) where they are expected to attract more Chinese investors into financing regional projects, including the proposed multi-billion dollar standard gauge railway. In its fourth edition this year, the forum is being organised by EnergyNet, an online oil and gas auction platform, in partnership with the China-Africa Development Fund formed in 2006 to support Chinese companies to develop investment partnerships in Africa. The fund currently has some $5 billion under its management and its handlers will be offering part of the money to African countries with attractive projects that require private investor financing. According to the organisers, more than 10 project proposals will be presented during the forum which takes place from October 15-16. The forum is expected to attract several Chinese investors looking for juicy investment openings at a time when China's economy is experiencing a downturn due to structural reforms. Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya are to each send a minister to jointly market the standard gauge railway (SGR), an important infrastructure venture aimed at facilitating regional trade along the Northern Corridor. The New Times understands that East Africa's lineup in Beijing will feature Rwanda's Minister for Infrastructure James Musoni, Uganda's State Minister for Privatisation Aston Kajara and Kenya's Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. Rwanda's Infrastructure ministry, when contacted yesterday, couldn't readily confirm whether Minister Musoni will attend the forum but Permanent Secretary Christian Rwakunda said China has already agreed in principle...

Nairobi — An estimated 4,000 Single Tourist Visas (STV) have been issued since its launch in February 2014 for Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. This represents a month-on-month improvement from an average of the 156 visas sold in the 10 months to December last year to 305 this year. Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) Acting CEO Susan Ongalo says the improvement was due to an increased interest by members of the private sector umbrella body to participate in regional forums with a view of partnering and working with other players in member countries to develop unique East African products. "I came along with a delegation of 12 Kenyan tourism private sector players and county ministers for tourism who were keen to travel using their National Identification cards in order to better understand the process while cross-selling products within the region," Ongalo said during a tourism forum in Kigali, Rwanda, organised by East African Tourism platform (EATP). In July a report by KTF report acknowledged that a majority of regional and international travellers passing through Kenya are still unaware of the availability and process of using a Single Tourist Visa and National Identification for travel within the three countries. According to the research, up to 58.1 percent of travellers had neither used nor interacted with someone who had used STV, while 47 percent of travellers showed lack of familiarity on the existence of STV. During the forum, the East African Tourism players pledged to support and continue marketing the region as a single...