Intra-EAC Trade still very low, says EAC Official

Posted in Trade

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6^th December, 2018: Intra-regional trade within the East African Community is currently very low standing at just less than 20%.

The Director of Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Alhajj Rashid Kibowa, said that this was extremely low compared to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) where intra-regional trade levels stand at 46% and the EU at approximately 67%.

Alhajj Kibowa disclosed that from next year onwards, the exhibitors and their stalls at the Annual EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition and Symposium will not be arranged according to the Partner States but according to product sectors to enhance information sharing, inter-sectoral/product benchmarking, and striking business deals amongst the exhibitors.

In the previous and ongoing 19^th exhibition, exhibitors and their stalls have been arranged according to Partner States and in alphabetical order.   

Alhajj Kibowa, who was addressing participants attending a symposium on Products Value Addition taking place on the sidelines of the 19^th EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition at the Eldoret Sports Club, decried the low levels of intra-EAC trade.

“Partner States need to take advantage of regional integration initiatives like this Jua Kaliexhibition in order to scale up trade amongst themselves, otherwise the statistic is still lower but with a lot of potential for expansion,” he said.

The Director further said that that unlike the earlier exhibitions, the ongoing exhibition and future ones would be complemented with a strong daily symposium purposely to empower the exhibitors with knowledge, skills and attitudinal change needed for the growth of the informal sector.

Earlier, the Managing Director of J&L Enterprises, Mrs. Louise Judicate Mosha made a presentation on Product Value Edition to an enthusiastic audience composed mainly of women entrepreneurs from the Partner States at the exhibition.

Mrs. Mosha, a Tanzanian who owns the Dar es Salaam-based Company dealing with Agro-processing and Handicrafts, took the participants through her practical experience in product value addition and becoming a successful entrepreneur.

She said J&L Enterprises started by making candles but has now graduated and spread its product chain to include agro-processing and handicrafts.

Answering questions raised on packaging, value addition and standards by the participants, the EAC Principal Standards Officer, Mrs. Stella Apolot, said that packaging was an integral part of value addition as it contributes to the safety, quality, acceptance and competitiveness of the products before the consumers.

She said packaging technology ranges from simple to complex ones in terms of the safety requirements and design, amongst others, and that products have different packaging requirements to ensure that the design is right and the quality is right in protecting the integrity of the product being packaged.

“Packaging industry in the EAC is less developed and remains a big challenge for most small and medium enterprises in identifying the right packaging and the costs involved,” said Mrs. Apolot.

On Food Additives, the EAC Principal Standards Officer said that they play a big role in value addition to achieve customer quality requirements. As component of food, food additives are subject to pre-market approval by by experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate their safety under the conditions of intended use.

“Food additives, despite being a necessity in value addition, may trigger allergic reactions and possibly lead to other serious health issues” and therefore MSMEs need to know the recommended food additives and quantities for each product and the information is readily available at Codex Allimentarius Commision website http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/list-standards/jp/; “Codex Standards for Food Additives,” said the Standards expert. 

The daily symposium continues with the Republic of Rwanda expected to make a presentation on Standards, Quality Assurance, Metrology and Testing (SQMT) on Thursday, 6^th December, 2018; Uganda will present on Benefits and opportunities from EAC integration to SMEs on Friday, 7^th December, 2018; Burundi will tackle EAC Rules of Origin on Saturday, 8^th December, 2018; while the Republic of South Sudan will present on MSMEs development on Sunday, 9^th December, 2018.

Earlier on 3^rd December, the Republic of Kenya made a presentation on cross-border trade; simplified trade regime and tackling non-tariff barriers (NTBs). Kenya’s Anti Counterfeit Agency also made a presentation on the same day. The United Republic of Tanzania made a presentation on Product Value Addition.

The daily symposium starts at 10.00 am and continues until midday at the Show ground.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

19th EAC Juna Kali-Nguvu Kazi Exhibition set for Eldoret, Kenya

Posted in Trade

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 20^th November, 2018: The 19^th edition of the annual East African Community Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition is set for 2^nd to 10^th December, 2018 at the Eldoret Sports Club in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The theme of the Exhibition is Buy Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSEs) Products, Build East Africa.

The EAC has been undertaking SMEs Development through the East Africa Jua Kali/ Nguvu Kazi exhibition. The exhibition is an annual event that exposes the products manufactured in the region. Organized jointly on a rotational basis by the EAC Secretariat, the East African Confederation of Informal Sector Organisation (EACISO) in collaboration with EAC Partner States, the event brings together artisans from the six (6) EAC Partner States comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The first exhibition was held in Arusha in November 1999 during the historic signing of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC. Subsequent to the success of the Arusha exhibition, the EAC Heads of State directed that the Exhibition be held annually, on a rotational basis amongst the Partner States so as to enhance economic integration in East Africa.

Marking 19 years to date, the annual exhibition brings together artisans from the East African region for purposes of opening up new market frontiers for their products while bridging the knowledge and technological gaps between them.

According to the Director General Customs and Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, the theme portrays the role MSEs are expected to play in the growth and development of the region’s economies. Mr. Bagamuhunda disclosed that so far 1,100 artisans have registered and confirmed their participation at the event.

The 19^th EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Exhibition will be officially opened on 4^th December, 2018.

To participate in the Exhibition, exhibitors from Partner States (Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan) are required to register with their respective Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations and Ministries of Trade and Industry, while those in Kenya should register with the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority.

During the Exhibition daily symposia will be conducted to build the capacity of the artisans on integration matters as follows:

NOTES TO EDITORS:

In order to support promotion of the Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi sector of the regional economy, the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Partner States and Confederation of Informal Sector Organization East Africa (CISO-EA) has organized the annual exhibition since 1999.  The exhibitions have proved to be strategic avenues for promoting the Small and Micro Enterprises sector’s products, transfer of technologies, and promotion of the regional integration process.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

EAC keen on promoting Intra- and Inter-Regional Trade

Posted in Trade

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 26^th March, 2018:

The East African Community is working overdrive to enhance market access to regional and international markets through a comprehensive export promotion strategy.

The EAC Director General, Customs and Trade, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, said the Community is implementing programmes aimed at promoting and strengthening intra- and inter-regional trade including the implementation of trade facilitation programmes particularly the removal of Non-tariff Barriers (NTBs) to trade.

The DG said that the EAC had prioritized growth in its exports through value addition and capacity building for exporters to enable them know about export requirements especially in the EU.

Mr. Bagamuhunda further said that the Community had put in place mechanisms for the dissemination of applicable trade requirements and trade statistics.

Other measures to promote trade include the harmonization of regional standards and strengthening the performance of exports through the implementation of the EAC Export Promotion Strategy.

Mr. Bagamuhunda said that while the Community had developed a number of key strategies and policies aimed at boosting trade, the biggest challenge was how to implement them.

“The elimination of tariffs is not a problem. The biggest problem is removing Non-tariff Barriers which keep on changing and coming up in different forms,” he said.

On the recently signed African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), Mr. Bagamuhunda said now was the time to push for the full implementation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) bringing together EAC, COMESA and SADC.

“The TFTA is the stepping stone to the CFTA because what remains in TFTA is its implementation. The Tripartite constitutes more than 60% of the Africa’s GDP and over half of the continent’s population,” said the DG.

The DG was speaking during the official opening session of a three day workshop convened by the TradeComII Programme at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The stakeholder workshop which has drawn participants from EAC Partner States, the private sector, youth and women’s organisations, and development partners will  discuss presentation on the: Draft EAC Export Promotion Strategy 2017-2022; EAC Framework of Non-Tariff Barriers, and; EAC Simplified Trade Regime for Women and Youth Traders.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Fabio di Stefano, Head of the Infrastructure and Regional Integration Sectors at the European Union Delegation in Tanzania, said the EU’s main focus in working with the EAC was on trade and economic growth in the region.

Mr. Stefano said that political goodwill from EAC leaders will be critical if East Africa was to become integrated economically, adding that reforms to national laws and policies would also be required for the full implementation of protocols and agreements made at the regional level.

Mr. Stefano said some of the key drivers of regional integration in East Africa as has been the case elsewhere were peace and security, and infrastructure development.

NOTE FOR EDITORS:

The EAC Secretariat obtained support to the tune of 300,000 Euros from the ACP-EU through the TradeCom II programme to develop appropriate strategies on export development and the elimination of Non-tariff Barriers inhibiting trade among Partner States and between Partner States and their trading partners.

The strategies address the main constraints relating to the legal, regulating and institutional requirements at both the regional and Member States levels and lack of financial and human resources to accommodate the increased demands related to the implementation of the TFTA and boosting Partner States capacity to supply the European markets through a sound and sustainable export promotion strategy.

 -ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

18th EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition Concludes in Bujumbura, Burundi

Posted in Trade

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 11^th December, 2017:

The 18^th edition of the annual EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition themed Buy East African Medium and Small Enterprises’ (MSEs) products to build East Africa, came to an end in Bujumbura, Burundi on Sunday, 10^th December, 2017.

The exhibition, which attracted 830 artisans from five Partner States – Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and the host country Burundi – ended with a call by the government of Burundi government to the other EAC Partner States to strongly support the private and informal sector in the bloc.

Speaking during the event’s closing ceremony, Burundi’s Assistant Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Mr. Nkunzumwami Aimable, said there was need to deliberately support the growth of Jua Kali (informal sector) by giving the necessary and enabling policies that are conducive to enhance opportunities and returns on investment in the informal sector.

Mr. Aimable, who was representing the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, challenged the artisans not to wait for another Jua Kali exhibition opportunity in Burundi but to use this opportunity to network and open up stalls in Bujumbura and other parts of the country so that their products can be easily accessed in the country.

“Don’t just sit and wait for the annual exhibitions, venture out and explore opportunities available in all the Partner States”, the governments are ready to support you,” said the Minister to the participants.

He said the prevailing peace and security in Burundi was good for the East African citizens to invest or tour the country.

Addressing the same occasion, the EAC Director of Trade, Alhaj Rashid Kibowa, said the exhibition had offered a very good opportunity for the artisans to enhance competitiveness and increase employment, thereby accelerating the region’s sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty.

He acknowledged the role played by the informal sector in the economies of the Partner States in terms of employment creation and income generation.

Alhaj Kibowa said that the sector contributes to the resilience of the regional economy by promoting industrialization through the utilization of the available raw materials, and as a player in the backward and forward value chain linkages the big manufacturing firms.

Kibowa commended the Partner States and EAC Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations (CISO) for partnering with the Secretariat in organizing the annual exhibitions. He also commended the EAC Steering Committee for the successful preparations of the event.

The Deputy Patron of the CISO, Mr. Keli Kiilu rooted for the institutionalization of the EAC CISO/Jua Kali-Nguvu Kazi week in the Community in order to recognize the critical role the sector plays in the Partner State’s economies but also to dedicate time for CISO /Jua Kali-Nguvu Kazi activities during that period.

Meanwhile several dignitaries visited the EAC exhibition stand during the one –week-long event to learn about the regional integration agenda. Among them was the First Lady Rev. Denise Nkurunziza, who spoke fluent Kiswahili.

Others included the Secretary General of the Government, Hon. Philippe Nzobonariba; Hon. Felix Mpozeriniga, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Employment; Hon. Dr. Josiane Nijimbere, Minister of Public Health; Mr. Nduati Mwangi, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Industry; several government officials and Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to the Republic of Burundi.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 2008:9001 Certified