Nairobi hosts EU-Africa Green Talk dialogue on sustainable development impact of local projects Dialogue between European Investment Bank, Portuguese Embassy in Kenya, financial community and development stakeholders confirms importance of green investment The Secretary General of East African Community today joined more than 150 African business leaders, financial experts and diplomats in the Nairobi EU-Africa Green Talk to share investment best practice and outline how to mobilise private sector support for sustainable development across Africa. “Recent innovative investment across East Africa has transformed access for millions of people to clean water, renewable energy and finance essential for a better and more sustainable future. Today’s Nairobi Green Talks allow innovative solutions and technical best-practice to be shared with the rest of Africa and the world. The East African Community commends the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union and the European Investment Bank for their engagement with East African partners to further strengthen sustainable investment in the years ahead.” said Dr Peter Mathuki, incoming Secretary General of the East African Community. Participants highlighted how recent and future private sector led clean energy, sustainable transport and business investment across East Africa can unlock economic opportunities, strengthen resilience to COVID-19, increase protection from a changing climate and ensure more sustainable use of resources in the future. “Partnership between Africa and Europe is key to increasing investment essential to combat climate change and create new opportunities. The Portuguese EU Presidency and European Investment Bank are pleased to join forces with East African business, political and...

Nairobi, 11th March 2021: Today, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, launched a system that automates issuance of import and export services provided by the Agriculture and Food Authority of Kenya (AFA), the government regulatory agency. The system was developed by AFA and TradeMark Africa (TMA), automating agricultural business processes in Kenya including issuance of permits and licensing. Named the AFA-Integrated Management Information System (AFA-IMIS); this is an 8-in-1 Single Window Information for Trade (SWIFT) system covering the certification and licensing of trade in cash crops including tea, coffee, nuts, oils, sugar, horticulture, flowers, cotton, sisal, pyrethrum, food crops and other industrial crops. It will provide an efficient platform for delivery of technical and advisory services, market research, product development, regulations and compliance functions for export and import of the cash crops. Denmark funded the development of the system with a contribution of US$1.37 million. The event was graced by Royal Danish Embassy Counsellor Morgen Strunge Larsen, AFA Director General Mr. Kello Harsama, TMA Senior Director for Trade Environment Mr. Alban Odhiambo and TMA Country Director Mr. Ahmed Farah HSC. Speaking at the event, Director General of AFA Kello Harsama acknowledged the support and reiterated AFAs’ commitment to ensure safe food is marketed within and out of Kenya.  “This system will help us serve the agriculture sector well. As AFA we are not only concerned with food that is coming into Kenya, but also food that is being produced in Kenya. Soon we will start surveillance on food...

Mombasa, 2nd March: A financial agreement worth €10.5 million between the Government of Finland and TradeMark Africa (TMA) was signed this morning, in Mombasa. The Government of Finland, represented by its Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Erik Lundberg, reiterated its commitment to supporting regional trade and the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the East African region. The event was officiated by Kenya’s Ministry of East Africa and Regional Development Principal Secretary Dr. Kevit Desai and witnessed by TMA Board Chair Amb. Erastus Mwencha, TMA CEO Mr. Frank Matsaert and TMA Country Director Mr. Ahmed Farah. Through this new Finnish funding, TMA will scale up support to governments to adopt ICT for Trade systems in key trade agencies that contribute to the successful implementation of National Single Windows. TMA has laid frameworks and forged partnerships to support multimodal transport corridors which not only reduce costs associated with trade, but also reduce the carbon footprint of transport. Lake and rail transport produce much less emission per tonne of cargo moved as compared to road transport. Efforts will go towards supporting digital trade corridors, safe sanitary and phytosanitary trade corridors, bolster trade remedies structures at national, regional and continental levels, investments in standards quality infrastructure centres of excellence, scale up of regional authorised economic operator schemes and authorised supply chains frameworks. This infrastructure will be critical in reducing barriers to trade and supporting smooth implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The new funding will build up on results that have been...

At least 2,000 Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to gain digital skills through the KEPSA E-commerce Booster Program Nairobi, Kenya - 25th February 2021: With funding from the European Union and UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, the Kenya Private Sector (KEPSA) today launched an Ecommerce Booster Program targeting at least 2000 Micro, Small and Medium sized enterprises (MSMES). The program is being supported by TradeMark Africa, a leading aid for trade regional body in East Africa while the technical support for this program is being provided by Amari Consulting Ltd. The program targets businesses with little or no digital presence for training and on-boarding to e-commerce platforms to ensure MSMEs can increase and diversify their revenue streams during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause disruptions in the global and regional value chains, it has become clear that e-commerce is an important tool and solution for businesses and consumers. E-commerce can support small businesses in reducing their costs and effectively reaching their customers; it is an economic driver for both domestic growth and international trade thus making economies more competitive. The COVID-19 pandemic has occasioned a spike in business-to-consumer (B2C) online sales and an increase in Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce. The increase in B2C sales is particularly evident in online sales of medical supplies, household essentials and food products. As a result, attention has been drawn to several challenges hindering the full potential of e-commerce across countries. These include price gouging, product safety concerns, deceptive practices,...

26th February, Nairobi - United Kingdom (UK) Trade Envoy to Kenya Theo Clarke has today virtually visited projects funded by UK government in Kenya among them the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS), Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) and Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Tracking System (RECTDS) implemented in partnership with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). Speaking during the virtual visit, attended by senior government officials and officials from TradeMark Africa (TMA), through which these projects were funded, the envoy underscored the special trade relationship between Kenya and the UK. Trade between the two nations was worth Ksh 79 billion in 2019 with the trade balance in favour of Kenya. Main Kenyan exports to the UK in the year were coffee, tea and spices at Ksh 18.6 billion (£121 million), vegetables at Ksh 12.1 billion (£79 million) and live plants mainly flowers at Ksh 8.3 billion (£54 million). The UK market accounted for 43% of total exports from Kenya as well as 9% of her cut flowers. British firms sold East Africa’s leading economy goods worth Ksh 125 billion (£815 million) mainly in machinery, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles. The UK is the largest European foreign investor in Kenya, with more than 100 British firms based in Kenya among them Vodafone, BAT, Diageo, Standard Chartered Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, ACTIS, Unilever and De La Rue. The UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya, Theo Clarke MP, said: “I am pleased that during the day of my first virtual visit as the Prime Minister’s Trade...

Regional economies proved resilient but not yet out of the woods. Nairobi, Friday, 17 February 2021: TradeMark Africa (TMA), in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), today launched a flagship report titled, "Waving or Drowning? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on East African Trade". The virtual session of policy makers, researchers, academics, and non-state actors discussed the link between COVID-19 pandemic and trade within the East African region. The report establishes that the EAC economies were resilient against the pandemic, with exports holding up well and the regional trade balance improving due to lower imports. Furthermore, the report notes that although intra-regional trade initially suffered serious disruptions, it quickly recovered, as Partner States ensured the movement of essential goods and adopted measures to minimize disruption on the main transport corridors while still observing the COVID-19 health protocols. The report highlights the recovery in key export sectors. For example, Burundi raw coffee exports increased from an average of Burundia Franc (BIF) 654 in the second quarter to Burundian Franc  (BIF) 4500 in the third quarter; while Uganda exports increased by approx. 21 percent between the second and the third quarter, while in Rwanda non-mineral exports increased by 46%. Speaking at the event  AERC Executive Director Professor Njuguna Ndungu, said; “The advent of the COVID-19 sent shockwaves into the emerging new sectors, such as tourism, manufacturing and financial intermediation thus compromising the recovery. Several indicators from diverse studies seem to indicate that...

Nairobi, 2nd February: During a signing ceremony of twin Financial Agreements worth USD 17.5 million, in Nairobi, The Government of Denmark, represented by its Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Ole Thonke, reiterated its commitment to support green trade and the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the East African region. The funding will be channelled through TradeMark Africa (TMA), a leading Aid for Trade organisation renowned for partnering with Eastern African governments to reduce barriers to trade through automation and adoption of sustainable physical infrastructures such as One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), ports among others. The event was officiated by Kenya’s Ministry of East Africa and Regional Development Principal Secretary Dr. Kevit Desai and witnessed by TMA Board Chair Amb. Erastus Mwencha, TMA CEO Mr. Frank Matsaert and TMA Country Director Mr. Ahmed Farah. In the two agreements, USD 14.5 Million will support Kenya’s efforts to transition to Green Trade and creating sustainable jobs under the Denmark and Kenya Strategic Framework for 2021 to 2025. The second agreement of USD 3 million (Approx. Kes 330,000,000) will support continued response to COVID-19 under TradeMark Africa’s Safe Trade Emergency Facility (Safe Trade) Programme. With the green trade funding (USD 14.5 million), TMA will partner with government institutions and private sector in adopting sustainable and efficient transport and infrastructure for reduced barriers to trade, improving trading standards and sanitary and phytosanitary issues and improving business competitiveness in Kenya. The new funding will build up on results that have been achieved in previous programmes funded by...

Addis, 25th January: TradeMark Africa with funding from United Kingdom’s Foreign Common Wealth & Development Office (FCDO) has doubled its efforts in support to Ethiopia’s fight against COVID-19 delivering an additional batch of Personal Protective Equipment to ministry of Transport, and Ethiopian Customs Commission. The assistance includes Reusable masks, Hand sanitisers, Hand washing points, Disinfectant spray, Infrared Thermometer, Reusable Safety Boots, Full protective PPE for front line health workers, N95 face masks and face shields. The personal protective equipment will be made available to frontline workers at various border points to protect them from the risk of getting infected with COVID-19. TMA first delivered the PPE’s on 29th December 2020 in the presence of government ministers and British Embassy representatives as well as TMA-Ethiopia Country Director Mr. Tadesse Yimamu and Ministry of Transport state Minister MR. Kassahun Gofe. The PPE’s issued is worth more than US$ 30,000 and will cover the needs of an estimated 150 staff at Galafi and Togo Wajile for a period of two Months.  The partners have already distributed the PPE Galafi border the transit point of 95% of Ethiopia’s external trade volume with an estimated 1500 trucks crossing every day. The support is provided as part of TMA’s SafeTrade Emergency Facility (Safe Trade) programme whose component in Ethiopia is financed by FCDO. Making his remarks at the event, the Minister of Transport state Minister Mr. Kassahun Gofe thanked TMA and the British Embassy for the support, underscored that, “people working in transport sector and border...

NIMULE: TradeMark Africa and the Government of South Sudan have today launched a capacity building program that will benefit 2,000 women entrepreneurs and informal women cross border traders. The launch event was held in Nimule boarder town and had representation from senior officials from both the Ministry of Trade& Industry, TradeMark Africa, Sudan Women Entrepreneurs Association (SWEA) and Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs (COWE) The Women in Trade Programme is a 9-month programme and is funded by Global Affairs Canada through regional trade agency TradeMark Africa. The programme will train women across the borders of Nimule, Kaya and Nadapal and will focus on improving the trading environment for women in trade as well as build business capacity of women traders, SMEs and Cooperatives. Through the Programme, TradeMark Africa seeks to increase incomes and improve livelihoods for women traders and women-owned enterprises through capacity building, addressing trade barriers and advocacy for policies that will create an enabling environment for women traders and women-led SMEs. This is part of a larger initiative by TMA to tackle poverty and reduce inequality through increased trade and competitiveness. The expected end of programme outcome is “Increased Social and Economic Empowerment of Women Traders in Eastern Africa. Speaking during the launch, Undersecretary for EAC Affairs Hon. Mou Mou Athian lauded the program as one anticipated to give a major boost to women traders, women entrepreneurs, and co-operative societies in the country. “Women traders and entrepreneurs have been raring to reach regional markets but most don’t have the...

Leading Regional Trade Agency TradeMark Africa has this morning handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth US$ 110,000 to the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to boost war against Covid19. The equipment provided includes hand sanitizers, hand washing stations, liquid hand washing soap, infrared thermometers, re-usable safety boots, full protective PPE, filtering full face respirators, reusable masks, plastic face shields, disposable gloves, hand sanitiser dispensers and disinfectant spray bottles. The equipment is expected to slow down infections and protect the lives of public officials, traders and citizens of South Sudan and was received on behalf of the government by Under Secretary for EAC Affairs, Mou Mou Athian. Other leaders at the event included Commissioner General of South Sudan National Revenue Authority Dr. Patrick Mugoya, Director General for Customs Gen Ayii Akol and EAC Youth and Women Ambassador for South Sudan. Speaking at the event, EAC Under Secretary noted that it is critical for South Sudan to continue having strong vigilance and protection against the virus, owing to its huge social economic disruption trends world over. “The PPE we have received from TradeMark Africa could not have come at a more opportune time. Whereas as a government we have made concerted efforts to minimize infections across the country, the re-emergence of the disease in parts of the continent as well as new strains of the virus continue to pose a big threat to the health of our populations. We must double efforts in order to protect the health and...