Dar es Salaam — UK Parliament has appointed a Tanzanian businessman, Mr Ali Mufuruki, to be co-chair of its special team that is investigating efficiency of Britain's aid to Africa in expanding business, investment and international cooperation in the last five years. Mr Mufuruki is currently the chairman of the CEO Roundtable of Tanzania, a policy dialogue forum that brings together more than 100 CEOs of leading companies in Tanzania. This group engages regularly with the senior government leadership of Tanzania to find solutions for the country's economy. The other co-chair is Lord Stephen Green from the House of Lords. Others are Prof Myles Wickstead and Lord Paul Boateng from the UK and Ambassador Darlington Mwape from Zambia, according to a statement e-mailed by Mr Mufuruki yesterday. The committee started its task yesterday in London by listening to 17 stakeholders from different organisations, including the World Bank, DFID, UNCTAD/WTO, Trade Mark East Africa, ITC and others. "There were also representatives of private companies operating in Africa, international business research firms and lawyers in the international business," said Mr Mufuruki in the statement. Cote d'Ivoire was represented by its Minister for Trade Jean-Louis Billon. According to him, the committee will submit the report and recommendations to UK Prime Minister David Cameron on June 23, 2016. Source: All Africa

Regional trading times and costs have been reduced through elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers in the region, advancing trade and prosperity, a TradeMark Africa evaluation report has said. TradeMark Africa has been supporting the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) to trade in the East African Community (EAC). NTB’s present a serious challenge to trade with an EAC wide cost estimate of NTBs (2010) being approximately US$490 million. Emerging results from the recently conducted independent evaluation of the NTB’s programme indicate a 14 per cent reduction in time taken to import goods from each East African country (from 36 days to 31 days) and a 20 per cent reduction in time taken to export goods from each EAC country (from 33 days to 26 days). Further results indicate a reduction in the cost of transporting a standard (40 foot) container from Mombasa to Kigali, from US$6,500 in 2011 to US$4,800, which is estimated to have generated a saving (at constant volumes) of approximately US$7 million on the Mombasa-Kigali route alone Similarly, Inland transportation times from Dar es Salaam to Kigali have dropped considerably, now to 3.5 days. Burundi tops the list of the East African countries that has witnessed the highest import reduction time – at 28 per cent (from 30 days to 43 days). The time taken to export from Uganda has successfully reduced from nearly 35 days in 2010 to under 30 days in 2015. Other areas that have witnessed great progress include Tanzania which has witnessed a 99 per...

Rwanda and Tanzania are taking their renewed relations to a new level. The two countries have announced a joint business summit to be held on May 6th at Kigali Serena hotel. According to the organizer Mustafa Hasanali, the business forum is set to strengthen trade between the two countries and generally boost intra regional trade called for by the East African community. The summit is organized by the Private sector federation (PSF) of Rwanda in conjunction with the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TACCIA). Organisers say the business summit is expected to attract approximately 300 participants from the two economies. “The summit is a great opportunity for the business community especially in regards to infrastructure and logistics as it will help create a blueprint for improved trade ties between the two neighbours,” said Dennis Karera the chairman of the East Africa business council. Landlocked with a population of 11million, Rwanda imports and exports most of its products by road through its neighbours including Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and DRCongo. Rwanda’s real GDP growth is projected to grow at the rate of 7.5% in 2016-17 mostly driven by foreign and public investment, services and exports. Last year Rwanda recorded $127.8 million worth of exports to East Africa Community compared to $142.4 million in 2014.  Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port is very vital in handling most of Rwanda’s imports and exports. Rwanda is aggressively seeking to cut down on its trade deficit by increasing exports. Exports in Rwanda decreased to 41.56...

East African countries have managed to reduce trading times and costs through elimination of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), advancing trade and prosperity, a regional trade development lobby said on Wednesday. "A reduction of NTBs will invariably lead to more trade in the region, which is ultimately our goal, of growing prosperity through trade," said Matsaert, CEO of TradeMark Africa, a donor-funded organization formed to help regional states speed up integration. "This is a significant milestone in the growth and development of our region. Non-Tariff Barriers remain a stumbling block in growing prosperity in the EAC region," he said during the launch of an evaluation report in Nairobi.. The report comes at a time when elimination of NTBs remains a teething challenge not only to regional trade and integration but also a subject that partner states grapple with in the quest of growing trade within the EAC bloc. Analysts say barriers like customs documentation requirements, varying systems of customs formalities and non-harmonised standards requirements among others continue to impede trade within the region. They also say that if NTBs were removed on maize, for example, Uganda would benefit significantly in terms of increased production and trade compared to Kenya and Tanzania. The time taken to export from Uganda has successfully reduced from nearly 35 days in 2010 to under 30 days in 2015. Other areas that have witnessed great progress include Tanzania which has witnessed a 99 per cent reduction in application time from 5 days to only one hour due to...

Regional trading times and costs have been reduced through elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers in the region advancing trade and prosperity, says a TradeMark Africa evaluation report. TradeMark Africa has been supporting the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) to trade in the East African Community (EAC). NTB’s present a serious challenge to trade with an EAC wide cost estimate of NTBs (2010) being approximately US$490 million. Emerging results from the recently conducted independent evaluation of the NTB’s programme indicate a 14 per cent reduction in time taken to import goods from each East African country (from 36 days to 31 days) and a 20 per cent reduction in time taken to export goods from each EAC country (from 33 days to 26 days). Further results indicate a reduction in the cost of transporting a standard (40 foot) container from Mombasa to Kigali, from US$6,500 in 2011 to US$4,800, which is estimated to have generated a saving (at constant volumes) of approximately US$7 million on the Mombasa-Kigali route alone Similarly, Inland transportation times from Dar es Salaam to Kigali have dropped considerably, now to 3.5 days. Burundi tops the list of the East African countries that has witnessed the highest import reduction time – at 28 per cent (from 30 days to 43 days). The time taken to export from Uganda has successfully reduced from nearly 35 days in 2010 to under 30 days in 2015. Other areas that have witnessed great progress include – Tanzania which has witnessed a 99 per...

The officials who started a two-day meeting on Monday under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit are from Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Ethiopia and host Uganda. The meeting precedes the ministers and the heads of state meetings that will be held later in the week. The Northern Corridor is the transport corridor that links the East African Community (EAC) landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan with the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa. The corridor also serves northern Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. Back in 2013, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta held an initial meeting to discuss how to cooperate and speed up development in the region. Their concern initially was the long time cargo to and from Mombasa took to reach its destination, infrastructure development and the cost of doing business in the region. Over the years, the scope and number of countries has increased. Uganda’s ministry of foreign affairs in a statement on Monday said the forthcoming meetings will review the status of implementation of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects since the last Summit held in December 2015 in Kigali, Rwanda. These projects are in the areas of infrastructure development, energy, information technology and socio-economic development. The projects are shared out by the countries to enable their fast-tracking. Uganda coordinates the Standard Gauge Railway, information communication and technology infrastructure, oil refinery development, fast-tracking political federation and financing. Kenya is coordinating...

President Yoweri Museveni alongside former Presidents Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya shall next month (May 29) be honoured for having championed the revival of the East African Community (EAC) in 1999. The recognition themed; 'Tracing and Trekking the Footsteps of our Founding Fathers-Walking the Talk', is the first of its kind initiative by Afrika Mashariki Fest, a regional integration non-partisan voluntary youth platform that believes youth must be vanguard of the EAC integration. Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the platform's second annual marathon slated for April 29th, Ronex Kisembo the event organiser said the awards will have a motivational impact on the stakeholders in the integration process, hence making it faster. "We felt the need to recognise and reward those outstanding individuals and organisations that have exhibited excellence and in a patriotic way supported or impacted on our dream (the EA integration)," Kisembo said. Following the Tripartite Agreement of 1993, a re-birth of the EAC integration was witnessed in 1999 under the championship of the three Presidents. The community has since grown from just three member states to six countries including; Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan being the latest entrant. Other individuals set to receive awards include; the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya) and Dr. Apollo Milton Obote (Uganda) under the Life achievement category for having championed the formation of the EAC in 1967. Meanwhile this year's marathon theme is 'Addressing Youth Unemployment through Embracing Sports.' According to Gyagenda...

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania's representatives in the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) said yesterday time had come for Tanzanians to understand and grab trade and investment opportunities that are available in the East African Community (EAC). They said days for Tanzanians to perceive the 160-million regional bloc as a threat for their jobs and a feeling that they do not belong to it were over. Speaking at Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL)'s Tabata headquarters to which they paid a visit, the MPs said it was unfortunate that the majority of Tanzanians were unaware of several economic opportunities in the region. "With the joining of South Sudan, the EAC market is expanding and gives us more opportunities. The question is: how many Tanzania are aware of this and are ready to grab these opportunities?" asked Eala legislator Adam Kimbisa. He said Tanzania's geographic location enhanced its chances of benefiting from the regional market than any other member state. Another Eala member, Ms Shy-Rose Bhanji, said Tanzania must start embracing the EAC fully and understand the core mission of the regional bloc. "The EAC is a people-centered body. The objective of forming the community is to improve the life of every individual in the region. There's no way we can stay away from it," she said. She said since the EAC partner states were now implementing the Customs Union and Common Market protocals, the citizens in the bloc were free to move, look for employment and do business in any of the...

Kigamboni bridge, the first of its kind in East Africa, that connects Dar es Salaam's central business district and Kigamboni area across the Kurasini creek is scheduled for official opening this morning. The 680-metres long cable-stayed bridge is opened hardly two days after President John Magufuli laid the foundation stone for the construction of the magnificent TAZARA flyover in the city on Saturday. The grand projects are just a fraction of more coming infrastructure projects that the government says is determined to develop in order to harness the potential of cities as the engines of economic growth. The World Bank, in its latest analysis of Africa's economic trends, Africa's Pulse, says the rapid urban growth that Africa is undergoing, if well managed, can spur economic growth and productivity through boosting incentives for investors and making cities more livable for poor and middle-class residents. The Breton Woods Institution, though acknowledging urbanisation as a source of dynamism that can enhance productivity and increase economic integration, decries Africa's failure to exploit the potential economic benefits. Unfortunately, African cities are neither delivering agglomeration economies nor reaping urban productivity benefits...they instead suffer from high food, housing and transport costs," says the institution. Coordination failures, poorly designed policies, weak property rights, according to the analysis are some of the factors that lower economic density in African cities, raising urban costs, which impede development. The report estimates urban population in Africa at 472 million, the number that will double over the next 25 years, creating huge demand...

Kampala — The East African Community new generation e-passport will replace all national passports in the region starting next year, the State Minister for East African Community Affairs, has said. Mr Shem Bageine said the decision to replace national passports was reached by the heads of state of member countries during a March summit in Arusha, Tanzania. In the same summit, South Sudan signed concession treaty, bringing the number of EAC member states to six, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. In an interview at the weekend, Mr Bageine told Daily Monitor e-passports, which have been fast-trucked since 2013, will replace existing EAC passport and the national passports. "The phasing out process of national passports begins January 2017 and is expected to end by December 2018. It means after that whoever is travelling to outside East Africa will use that document," said Mr Bageine. The e-passports, according to Mr Bageine, will act as a symbol of unification for all East African citizens on top of the planned use of Swahili and printing of a single East African currency. "The passport will in fact strengthen the federation because people will begin thinking more as East Africans," he said. Regional governments in consultation with the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a global body that regulates air transport, have already agreed on the identity and security features of the passports. Asked what will happen to Ugandans whose national passports' validity extends beyond the two years of withdrawal, Mr Bageine said in the period...