Enterprises run by women and operating across the five-nation East African Community stands to benefit from a $4.5 million (Sh463.9 million) fund to enhance their capacity. This follows last week's launch of a project dubbed "Women and Trade" by TradeMark Africa targeting about 25,000 women traders in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and South Sudan. The project is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. TMA said it plans to partner with local organisations in educating female traders on trade and export procedures in the EAC bloc. The firm said its targets include a 10 per cent average growth in revenues of the successful businesses by end of next year. TMA also hopes to increase by 30 per cent the use of formal trade systems, adoption of policies, regulations and practices that support an enabling environment for women in cross border traders. Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, Foreign Affairs and International Trade CS Amina Mohamed said the project will help support women in the dorminant Small and Medium-sized Enterprises sector "Empowering women creates a positive multiplier effect on poverty reduction, economic growth, government revenues and employment creation, among other factors," Mohamed said. She said the government is keen to see the successful integration of the region and "an overall functional Free-Trade area for the continent".TMA CEO Frank Matsaert said the one-year programme will help address trade barriers faced by the women, including harassment from middlemen and double taxation at border points. "Women have been marginalised either overtly through violence...

Cross-border trade in Sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by women traders who engage in informal trade because they lack market information but their economic potential can be elevated through skills training and education. Cross-border trade is the exportation of goods through country borders. “A lot of people go informal because they have the wrong idea about what they will be charged in the tariffs, there's corruption at the borders and we need to have more accountability at the borders,” said Lisa Karanja, Senior Director of Business Competitiveness at Trade Mark East Africa. They try to facilitate trade and ensure that the benefits are reaching everybody and contribute to economic growth. "Women dominate trade in East Africa, particularly informal trade ranges from large SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) exporting goods to smaller women who are taking vegetables across,” she said. Karanja says how often people say “just increase trade and it will be good for everyone” while trying to address poverty, but that is not the case for women she said as they struggle through areas that men might not. Women suffer from “time poverty” issues because they have to look after children and are expected to work on the farms as well as a lack of access to transportation forcing them to trade smaller goods. “It’s really an economic issue, with so many women in poverty; so many women engaged in small scale border trade, how do we ensure that the benefits of the reforms are actually reaching these women?" Karanja...

NAIROBI: Women entrepreneurs across East Africa are expected to benefit from Sh460 million ($4.5 million) one year programme aimed at upgrading their businesses through cross-border trade. The programme, Women and Trade (WaT) funded by Trade Mark East Africa (TMA) is targeting 25,000 women in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and South Sudan. About 5,000 women entrepreneurs in Kenya are expected to be beneficiaries. In Kenya, WaT has partnered with Joyful Women Organisation which will see the women trained on exports requirements, quality and standards as well as facilitate their access to the funds through micro-finances that is expected to increase their income by 10 percent. Unveiling the programme in Nairobi, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the move has encompassed the spirit of East Africa Community through trade. “This will go a long way in supporting women in the Small and Micro Enterprise (SMEs) sector not only in Kenya but in the region. Consequently, there will be a multiplier effect on poverty reduction economic growth and numerous employment opportunities,” said Mohamed. Mohamed acknowledged that women entrepreneurs have long being relegated to small scale businesses operating locally due to their lack of financial muscle and inadequate custom trade information. “But through this programme, there will be a significant change which will go parallel with the government’s goal of integrating the East Africa region as an overall functional free-Trade area.” According to World Bank report ‘Engendering Development’ women reinvest up to 90 percent of their income in education, health and family nutrition...

Uganda yesterday accused Kenya of not being keen to follow the East African Community Common Market protocol.
Uganda High Commissioner Angeline Wapakhabulo said that while Uganda has no problem trading with Kenya, Kenyans have no trust in Uganda as a business partner. She spoke in Mombasa during the launch of a Ugandan modular ferry, the Albert Nile-1. The ferry was built in Kenya by Southern Engineering Company in partnership with Damen Shipyards, headquartered in the Netherlands. Wapakhabulo spoke after Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said East Africa has the potential to create opportunities without relying on foreigners. She said Kenyans should not debate the sugar deal after the two countries reached agreement this October. The envoy said Uganda produces more sugar than Kenya and it is important for the two countries to develop harmonious trade relations. “Uganda produces 120,000 metric tonnes of sugar above domestic consumption. Where do you expect us to export the surplus?” she said Source: Footprint to Africa

The President re-emphasised the role of Parliament in fast-tracking the legislative agenda to ensure bills are enacted on time by member states. Addressing the East African Legislative Assembly in Nairobi, President Kenyatta pointed out that delayed implementation of the proposed EAC protocols by East African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi was an impediment to development. "Our union must be strengthened to allow free flow of people, capital and services. We have to allow our people to take their skills and capital wherever they will be best rewarded," he said. He continued: "This weighty responsibility rests on the shoulders of the assembly members. My government is completely committed to ensure this course is realised. The issue of integration is not only a political process but requires the participation of all citizens. " He particularly challenged EALA to accelerate the legislation process of the EAC common market protocol, which anchors the right to freedom of movement and cautioned that existing political union among partner countries can't be achieved without eliminating barriers of economic development. President Kenyatta recalled the recent State visit by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, saying over half of the people who turned up for the launch of Taveta-Arusha road project were Tanzanians. "The turnout was quite telling. Half of the crowd I addressed were Tanzanians without passports and they were surprised to see their President at the event," said President Kenyatta. Source: Standard Difital

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 2015 (IPS) - African member states’ vision and ambition echo their peoples’ aspirations and builds on the continent’s robust economic growth, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a High-Level Event on the “Role of African Regional and Sub-Regional Organizations in Achieving Regional Integration.” The High-Level meeting is the first in a series of events marking Africa Week 2015, whose theme is “Moving From Aspirations to Reality.” Organized by the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (OSAA), Africa Week 2015 engages member states and other stakeholders to address the continent’s development priorities.It specifically focuses on implementing both the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Adopted in January 2015 by African heads of State, Agenda 2063 is an action plan for “all segments of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa.” It includes commitments to industrialise economies, develop infrastructure, eradicate poverty, improve education, and act on climate change. “They seek to build lives with quality education and health care, decent jobs, a clean environment and tolerant, inclusive and democratic societies,” noted the Secretary-General in his opening remarks. “They demand and deserve a future where guns are silenced throughout the continent and poverty and hunger have no place,” Ban continued. The first High-Level event of the week also underscored the importance of regional economic integration, highlighting the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) agreements. Launched in June 2015, the TFTA aims to...

Uganda is the most improved economy in the East African region in terms of creating a conducive environment for trade and investment, according to the latest Global Competitiveness ranking. Uganda, which ranked 115 (from 122 last year) of the 144 economies surveyed globally, was followed by Rwanda, whose economy improved from position 62 last year to 58, while Tanzania moved one position to rank 120 globally. Although Burundi improved to position 136 this year from 139, it still ranked among the bottom five economies in the world. Kenya, which slipped nine places to position 99, was said to have lost due to corruption and the sporadic insecurity that has kept away investors over the past three years. Kampala, meanwhile, benefits from strong demographics as it enjoys a relatively youthful population. The report says East Africa’s economic improvement has been driven by an overall better infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, as well as advances in health, primary education, goods market, labour market efficiency and innovation. However, corruption, access to finance and political instability remain the most problematic issues affecting doing business in the region. The report defines competitiveness as the set of institutions, policies, and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. A more competitive economy is one that is likely to sustain growth. The highlights come at a time when an Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) report indicates that East Africa’s inflows of foreign direct investment increased by 11 per cent in the third quarter...

The impetus for cross-country projects in Africa has always been motivated by the cost of doing business on the continent.There have been noticeable improvements in sectors such as the ICT sector, however, progress in other sectors, such as transport has been slow. What factors need to be present in order to guarantee the success of projects? From an operator’s view, a big issue is the cost of trade between countries on the African continent. There is a need for a free trade agreement and that many businesses are sceptical about the potential success of African projects, despite a number of very successful African projects, such as the Pedicle Road on which one-stop border posts have been implemented. The introduction of these border posts has reduced customs-related corruption significantly. It is necessary to get captains of industry into one room in order to try and kick start development and that more control over costs is necessary. Corridors do seem to be making a difference: roads are being improved as is infrastructure, which saves on travel time and thus reduces costs. The example of measures at ports in Dar es Salaam, which were instituted to reduce bottlenecks, is a further case of the cost-saving measure that had been introduced. In order to guarantee the success of corridors, it is vital that the commitment of member states is obtained. One-stop border posts and the implementation of the requisite technology at these border posts are essential to the free flow of people and goods...

The East African Community partner states have agreed on the outstanding trade issues under the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). The EAC partners are expected to present their offer to the other TFTA members for a decision at the upcoming meeting in Kigali this week. If adopted, the deal will pave the way for EAC goods to enter larger markets such as South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea beginning next year when the TFTA comes into full force. The pending issues the five countries have already agreed on include rules of origin, liberalisation of tariff offers and dispute settlement. They have agreed to liberalise 63 per cent of their tariff lines to the other TFTA partners and 37 per cent of tariff lines to be liberalised and further negotiated. “This means that only 63 per cent of specified goods, which exclude sensitive goods, will be allowed into the region from the other TFTA partner states at zero per cent duty rate,” said Mark Ogot, a senior assistant director at Kenya’s Ministry of East African Community Affairs and a Tripartite expert. He said that the tariff offers by EAC allow completion of ongoing negotiations for a free trading area “Further discussions on the tariff offers by the EAC will depend on what the other countries will be offering but no country or bloc will be allowed to give a tariff offer below what other member states are offering,” said Mr Ogot. However, Tanzania will apply non-preferential rates on selected tariff lines...

KAMPALA, Uganda - Uganda is in constant consultations with its neighbours in the five-member East African Community m(EAC) on the  gradual easing of all non-tarriff barriers (NTBS). “Through regional and bilateral initiatives, a number of NTBs such as roadblocks have been addressed.  Uganda was granted a 100% waiver by Kenyan Government to remove Ugandan overstayed goods that were slated for auctioning at the Port of Mombasa. A similar arrangement has been agreed upon with Democratic Republic of Congo,” Amelia K Kyambadde, the trade and industry minister while briefing the media. NTBs are any measure other than high import duties (tariffs) employed to restrict imports. These measures can include quotas, levies, embargoes, sanctions and other restrictions. She said: “We have made significant progress in addressing NTBs related to the exportation of sugar to Kenya. This kind of reporting was initiated last year in July but up to now some people are not aware of it. We have made it easy where by everyone who can access a phone or internet is able to report any problem to us. We hope by doing this, we shall help our traders.” The system uses mobile phones with access to MTN, UTL, Airtel or Orange networks or through the internet access url http://www.ntbool.mtic.co.ug. The system is then linked to various government ministries, departments, and agencies under whose mandate NTBs occur and who are responsible for their elimination. The responsible institutions include Uganda National Roads Authority in charge if weighbridges, Uganda National Bureau of Standards in charge...