Waturi Matu is a Kenyan and serves presently as director, business environment at TradeMark Africa but has before now served in different capacities in different organizations within the travel industry and is popular for her strong views and advocacy for united Africa front when it comes to developing and promoting the travel industry. She speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA on her life’s trajectory and engagement with the industry What attracted you to the travel industry? The universe conspired. I returned from a year’s stay in South Africa, and a board member of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) reached out to me as they were looking at hiring a chief executive officer. At that time, I knew nothing about the travel and tourism industry apart from being a ‘traveller and tourist.’ However, business issues are largely the same. So, I decided to give it a shot and to learn the particulars with regards to policy and regulatory matters in travel and tourism, governance and business support services for membership organizations. I worked at KATA for four years before joining the East Africa Tourism Platform where I did three years. Both bodies left me richer (not money wise of course) than they will ever know. However, I left the organizations with stronger revenue bases, policies and financial systems to ensure their long-term sustainability. What was the motivation for all the years you worked in the various organizations where you have left indelible prints especially at EATP? The travel and tourism...

The end of one year and the beginning of another always induce mixed feelings. On the one hand, one is glad to have crossed into the new year. On the other, even for the most irrepressible of optimists, as the new year begins, questions arise as to what the next 12 months will bring. Within my local community, the passing of the previous year is celebrated as though it was a virulent disease, as implied in the greeting “Gukulike, omwaka!” (Congratulations; you survived it!) For me, as 2016 kicked in, existential pre-occupations were far from what was on my mind. It was firmly fixed on matters political, and kept shifting from national to regional to continental issues. What did they mean? In what has for long qualified as one of Africa’s violence “hotspots,” the Great Lakes region of East Africa, Tanzania and Kenya, traditionally its “islands of stability,” remained pretty much off the headlines. Beneath the surface, however, in Tanzania questions continued to loom large over the “Magufuli effect,” one of them being whether the path the country’s new president had chosen, of literally turning things upside-down in pursuit of a clean government, represented a permanent turning point or a mere blip before sleaze returns in full force. For Kenya, only a few years ago, many East Africans were worried sick about the country imploding and pulling the rest of us down with it. You need to live in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan to appreciate the importance of...

Despite intense engagements, positive media coverage and ranking as well as events that should market Uganda, the country’s tourism sector braved a difficult 2015, with earnings projected to be lower than the previous year’s figure. In 2014, the sector was the leading forex earner, raking in $1.4 billion. Late last year, Uganda alongside Kenya and Central African Republic hosted Pope Francis. This, tourism sector executives argue, will help to market one of the country’s signature products — the Uganda Martyrs — and dispel the image of East Africa as a hotbed for terrorism. Yet, even as hosting Pope Francis remains a boon for the region, players in Uganda’s tourism sector say that when the numbers for 2015 earnings are finally in, they will not compare with those of 2014. While MICE [Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events] grew, there were marked drops in bookings for nature tourism. “We are sure we can take Uganda up there in 2016 using MICE. Singapore has no game parks but its tourism survives on MICE,” said the CEO of Uganda Tourism Board, Stephen Asiimwe. Infrastructure Players also feel that the country’s inferior infrastructure needs to be improved. For instance, Uganda has only one international airport — Entebbe. In spite of a difficult 2015, Uganda won several accolades including the best African exhibitor at the Indaba tourism fair in Durban, South Africa in May and the Grand Award for best overall exhibition stand and best stand design at Magical Kenya Tourism Expo in October. Along with Rwanda...

History was made in recent days. Top trade and development officials from all across the globe gathered December 15-18 to discuss economic growth opportunities and international commerce — the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Ministerial Conference — and that meeting took place … in Kenya. It was the first time that this biennial meeting of the world’s key trade decision makers has ever been held in East Africa. That’s not a coincidence. While much of the world is battling economic uncertainty and tepid growth, the nations of the East Africa Community (EAC) — Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda — are quietly putting into place the building blocks for substantial growth, productivity increases and profitable trade opportunities. East Africa’s aggressive steps have not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the WTO’s decision to convene its all-important Ministerial Conference in Nairobi.While the WTO Ministers negotiated programs, rules and agreements for the global marketplace, key private sector representatives, thought leaders and economic development officials from around the world were also in Nairobi going about the equally important task of actually making trade, investment and growth a reality. This included Canadian officials who have made clear their interest in doing business in and with East Africa, particularly in the energy and mining sectors. This conference, the annual Trade and Development Symposium (TDS), is where critical stakeholders have an opportunity to confer and share ideas for creating greater opportunities for enhanced trade and sustainable growth; it offers a unique and vital platform for wider discussions that...

East African Community (EAC) said it is about to fulfill one of its mandates as EAC citizens will soon acquire EAC e-passports that will help ease their movement in the EAC bloc, Footprint to Africa reports. According to a statement from the secretariat, EAC Secretary General Mr Richard Sezibera said the launch of the New Generation e-East African Passport early in the New Year will be a major milestone towards achieving a harmonization in the region. The EAC e-passport, Footprint to Africa gathered had been scheduled for launch in November last year but was postponed to allow more time to airbrush pending issues on the travel document. EACs Chair of the Council of Ministers Abdallah Sadaala Abdallah said during last year’s budget presentation to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala), that the immigration sub-sector had prioritised the need to enhance the capacity of the Immigration Directorates and Departments to develop integrated e-immigration management systems, create enhanced e-immigration services for the public. “This is by adopting advanced Technology and improving processes and to put in place a secure e-immigration network, through the adoption of biometric technology at all borders to reinforce the national security systems,” Abdallah added. The secretariat also allotted funds for study into a regional e-Passport that would be used by the regional citizens for international travel. EAC states also plan to use common passport for global travel and the assembly approved Sh5, 096,364 ($49,840) for an assessment of the needs and preparedness of partner states to execute the...

Senior officials from the East African Community (EAC) have confirmed that the grouping will launch a joint ePassport project. Secretary General, Richard Sezibera disclosed on Wednesday that citizens of the five-member community bloc will soon be in a position to develop the regional travel document. Sezibera said he is looking forward to the launch of the New Generation e-East African Passport early in 2016, a statement from the secretariat issued in Nairobi disclosed. “This is the time for creating a truly African market – in goods, and services including financial services. This is the time for shared industrialization, creating value chains across countries and regions”, he said. “I am glad East African continues to be at the forefront of integration, and growth. The Single Customs Territory continues to deliver benefits to East Africans both on the central corridor, as well as the another corridor,” he added. The EAC countries include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. Source: Security Document World

The maize trade in Eastern and Southern Africa is set to rise following a roadmap to address bottlenecks caused by differences in standards and regulations. It was launched by Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) in Kampala, and is known as the Comesa Mutual Recognition Framework (C-MRF). The aim is to provide equivalence of analytical results and recognition of certificates of analysis that are issued by the participating countries. This will eliminate the need for multiple testing by both the exporting and importing countries. C-MRF was developed by the Comesa Secretariat in partnership with six countries that have significant maize trade in the region. They are Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which will also pilot the framework. The key components are common grading criteria, proficiency testing for aflatoxins and a risk-based sampling protocol. Varied capacities At the launch, Thierry Mutombo Kalonji, the director for agriculture and industry, said the lack of mutual recognition of technical standards and conformity assessment (testing and certification) was a persistent non-tariff barrier. "Comesa Secretariat initiated the framework in recognition of the fact that regulatory barriers are sometimes a result of varied technical capacities in the public and private sector entities across the region," he said. "Without mutual recognition of standards and certificates of analysis, regulatory barriers persist; causing an unpredictable regulatory environment that comes at a high cost to traders and contributes to the growing informal trade, now estimated at over 80 per cent in some countries." Further still, countries with...

Reforms undertaken by the two partners contributed to a reduction in customs clearance time, enabled URA generate more revenue to fund national programs and contributed to improved ranking of Uganda in World Bank Doing Business report 2016 Kampala, 18th December 2015: Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) recognised TradeMark Africa (TMA)-Uganda, in appreciation of the support rendered under the Managing Compliance Programme reforms which have led to increased efficiency in revenue collection. [caption id="attachment_11168" align="alignleft" width="600"] Moses Sabiiti receiving an award from URA Commissioner General, Doris Akol, on behalf of TMA[/caption] The reforms include the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Initiative, the Customs Management System of ASYCUDA World and the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS). Moses Sabiiti, on behalf of TMA, received the award in a colourful ceremony. TMA supported URA through funding from DFID, The Dutch Embassy and Sweden. Increased efficiency of customs is important as URA collects the Government of Uganda’s tax revenues which are used to fund the country’s budget for infrastructure development, Universal Primary Education and Public Medical Access. Customs revenues contribute over 50% of Uganda’s tax revenues. During the event, URA Commissioner General, Ms. Doris Akol, said “The Customs Reforms funded by TMA achieved all planned outputs under ASYCUDA World, AEO and ECTS; this support has put URA Customs in the leading position in trade facilitation in the region and equipped URA to further generate more revenue to fund national programs. We appreciate TMA for being demand driven, Iterative and flexible. These reforms have led to a reduction...

The partnership seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Customs administrations and grow prosperity in the region Nairobi, 15 December 2015 - TradeMark Africa (TMA) has today signed an initial 5 year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the World Customs Organization (WCO) in the implementation of key areas of mutual strategic interest around the trade facilitation agenda in East Africa. [caption id="attachment_11154" align="alignleft" width="600"] TradeMark Africa (TMA) CEO exchanging MOU documents with Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kunio Mikuriya in Nairobi, Kenya[/caption] The partnership will see the two organisations collaborate in setting up a framework for boosting international and regional trade in the EAC and implementing key trade facilitation initiatives – predominantly through the use of WCO trade facilitation tools - to help implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The collaboration will see both parties strive to improve border management procedures and customs clearance procedures, as well as bring in automated features such as the implementation of electronic single windows in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of trade regulatory environment. Speaking during the signing, TMA CEO Frank Matsaert said that the new partnership will be a great milestone in the organization’s ultimate objective of growing prosperity through trade. “This partnership will allow us to implement best practice international trade tools and instruments that will propel us in our journey towards improving the regional trade landscape, with tangible and sustainable gains for all citizens of East Africa.” TMA works closely with EAC Institutions, national governments,...

Dar es Salaam – December 11, 2015 – Finland and TradeMark Africa (TMA) signed an agreement for additional funding on Friday December 11th to further support TMA's work in enhancing trade across the East African Community to increase prosperity in the region. The agreement was signed by the Finnish Ambassador to Tanzania, H.E. Pekka Hukka and Mr. Ali Murufuki, TMA Board Chair. Finland has supported TMA since 2013. The grant agreement will make available an additional Euro 2 million (approximately TZS 4.7 billion) to TMA activities in Tanzania. [caption id="attachment_11134" align="alignleft" width="600"] TMA Board Chair Ali Mufuruki exchanging MOU documents with the Finnish Deputy Head of Mission in Tanzania, Simo-Pekka Parviainen[/caption] The additional funding is intended to fill some funding gaps in the implementation of TMA's Strategy 1. They will help TMA to achieve its goals of enhancing trade and removing trade barriers more efficiently than with their original budget. The funds will be directed at enhancing one-stop border posts at Holili, Mutukula and Kabanga and improving cross-border trade. The logistics industry will also be supported to be organized more efficiently. At the moment, East Africa’s trade corridors are characterized by long transit times and high costs. Freight costs per kilometre are more than 50% higher than costs in the United States and Europe. "Tanzania needs a business friendly environment that attracts investment, both domestic and from abroad. A key part of this equation is making logistics cheaper and more effective," emphasized the Finnish Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Pekka Hukka. TradeMark...