When the COVID-19 pandemic crisis started; most people were extremely pessimistic and predicted that the EAC region would drown in terms of trade declining catastrophically. But in fact, the East Africa Community economies (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda) have, by global standards, proven to be relatively resilient. The newly launched joint report by UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), TradeMark Africa (TMA) and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) entitled “Waving or Drowning? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on East African Trade” notes that declines in imports broadly reflected the adverse trade performance of the EAC’s main trading partners during the early phases of the pandemic in April and May 2020, but the imports of all the EAC Partner States subsequently recovered to pre-pandemic levels by the second half of 2020, after governments’ lockdown restrictions were eased, and a broader global trade recovery started to take place. Nonetheless, despite showing resilience, COVID-19 has reversed some of the gains made in trade facilitation. Immediately after COVID-19 outbreak, the ship dwell time at Mombasa port increased by 48% and Berth time increased by 52%. Cargo transit from Mombasa Port to Malaba (the border between Kenya and Uganda) increased from 7 days to 11 days by the second quarter of 2020. The time taken to transport goods via the Mombasa-Busia route was nearly three times higher. On the Central Corridor, the transit time from Dar-es-Salaam to various cities in the neighbouring countries more than doubled. The marked increase in transit...

NIMULE: TradeMark East 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 East 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 East 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 East 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 TMEA 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...

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...

Leading Regional Trade Agency TradeMark East 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 East 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...

Hargeisa, Somaliland, 6th January 2021 - Regional Aid for Trade Agency TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) has this morning handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the government of Somaliland to protect front line agents working at Somaliland’s Tog-Wajaale border. The PPEs presented were funded by UKAID through TradeMark East Africa. On hand to receive the PPEs were the Somaliland Minister of Finance, Dr. Saad Ali Shire and Director General of Ministry of Health, Dr Mohamed Hergeye. The equipment provided includes N95 face masks, foot pedal hand wash, sanitizers, disinfectants, and hand wash. Speaking during the handover event, Minister Saad Shire noted that whereas infections have slowed down in Somaliland, it remains imperative for the Government, non-government actors and the citizens to continue working jointly to prevent any re-emergence of the disease. “The fight against this pandemic presents a twin challenge for our nation, we must avoid re-emergence of the disease through new infections and we must also bolster our trade with the region to safeguard our economy and the livelihoods of our people” noted by the Minister. The equipment presented today will enhance the safety and working condition of front-line workers in key borders, which are critical arteries of trade in and out of Somaliland and her neighbours. A key border where the PPEs will be distributed is Tog-Wajaale (with Ethiopia). TMEA Country Representative for Somaliland, Abdirahman Osman expressed optimism that the PPEs provided will protect key borders to continue facilitating trade without becoming infection hot spots. “Our borders and...

Hargeisa, Somaliland, 6th January 2021 - Regional Aid for Trade Agency TradeMark Africa (TMA) has this morning handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the government of Somaliland to protect front line agents working at Somaliland’s Tog-Wajaale border. The PPEs presented were funded by UKAID through TradeMark Africa. On hand to receive the PPEs were the Somaliland Minister of Finance, Dr. Saad Ali Shire and Director General of Ministry of Health, Dr Mohamed Hergeye. The equipment provided includes N95 face masks, foot pedal hand wash, sanitizers, disinfectants, and hand wash. Speaking during the handover event, Minister Saad Shire noted that whereas infections have slowed down in Somaliland, it remains imperative for the Government, non-government actors and the citizens to continue working jointly to prevent any re-emergence of the disease. “The fight against this pandemic presents a twin challenge for our nation, we must avoid re-emergence of the disease through new infections and we must also bolster our trade with the region to safeguard our economy and the livelihoods of our people” noted by the Minister. The equipment presented today will enhance the safety and working condition of front-line workers in key borders, which are critical arteries of trade in and out of Somaliland and her neighbours. A key border where the PPEs will be distributed is Tog-Wajaale (with Ethiopia). TMA Country Representative for Somaliland, Abdirahman Osman expressed optimism that the PPEs provided will protect key borders to continue facilitating trade without becoming infection hot spots. “Our borders and corridors remain...

The Moyale One Stop Border Point (OSBP) was launched today in a colourful event officiated by H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta CGH President of the Republic of Kenya and H.E. Dr Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister, the Federal Republic of Ethiopia at the Moyale border point which adjoins the two neighbouring nations. The border point is part of the LAPSSET project, and is situated approximately 800 Kilometres North of Nairobi, and 780 Kilometres South of Addis Ababa. Construction of the OSBP facility was completed in 2018, after which the facility has been kitted with appropriate ICT Hardware and Software to enable it run smoothly as a modern facility. Construction of the Moyale OSBP was part of the US$ 329 million project that included construction to bitumen standard 438 Kilometres road from Merille River to Moyale in Kenya and 300 Kilometres roads’ sections in Ethiopia. This initial construction phase was funded by AfDB (loan), EU (grant), the GoK and GoE (counterpart funding). The next phase entailed implementation of Integrated Border Management (IBM) Procedures and Systems on both sides of the border at a cost of US$ 1.65M which was funded by Funded by the UK Government through regional trade agency TradeMark Africa.  This included development and harmonisation of border procedures, harmonisation of legal instruments, capacity building programme for border agencies operating at the border point, awareness creation targeted at women traders as well as development and operationalisation of Cross Border Trade Charter. Speaking during the launch today President Kenyatta noted that the modern border...

Elegu, 10 November 2020: TradeMark Africa, the regional trade facilitating agency has handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Elegu One Stop Border Post (OSBP) frontline staff and informal cross border traders. The delivery of PPEs at Elegu OSBP comes at the back of concentrated efforts undertaken by the Government of Uganda and its partners to further curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus that continues to cause havoc across the world. The PPE presented at Elegu OSBP were funded by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) through TradeMark Africa’s Safe Trade Emergency Facility. Other OBSPs that have already benefited from this Safe Trade initiative are Busia and Mutukula. Ulrik Jorgensen, Counsellor and Teamleader Growth Team at the Denmark in Uganda Embassy and Damali Ssali, the acting country director for TradeMark Africa, Uganda delivered the PPE to Elegu OSBP. On hand to receive the PPE was Abel Kagumire, the Commissioner Customs at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). The equipment provided includes infrared thermometers, re-usable safety boots, full protective PPE, filtering facepiece respirator, reusable masks, plastic face shield. While receiving the PPE, Abel Kagumire, the URA commissioner customs underscored the significance of the Elegu OSBP as a strategic border for Uganda. “As a country, we look at Elegu border as a strategic border for growing our exports. We have a lot of agricultural produce in Uganda which is needed in South Sudan. That is why we come up with processes that help facilitate exports. We are challenging our people to add value...

Elegu, 10 November 2020: TradeMark East Africa, the regional trade facilitating agency has handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Elegu One Stop Border Post (OSBP) frontline staff and informal cross border traders. The delivery of PPEs at Elegu OSBP comes at the back of concentrated efforts undertaken by the Government of Uganda and its partners to further curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus that continues to cause havoc across the world. The PPE presented at Elegu OSBP were funded by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) through TradeMark East Africa’s Safe Trade Emergency Facility. Other OBSPs that have already benefited from this Safe Trade initiative are Busia and Mutukula. Ulrik Jorgensen, Counsellor and Teamleader Growth Team at the Denmark in Uganda Embassy and Damali Ssali, the acting country director for TradeMark East Africa, Uganda delivered the PPE to Elegu OSBP. On hand to receive the PPE was Abel Kagumire, the Commissioner Customs at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). The equipment provided includes infrared thermometers, re-usable safety boots, full protective PPE, filtering facepiece respirator, reusable masks, plastic face shield. While receiving the PPE, Abel Kagumire, the URA commissioner customs underscored the significance of the Elegu OSBP as a strategic border for Uganda. “As a country, we look at Elegu border as a strategic border for growing our exports. We have a lot of agricultural produce in Uganda which is needed in South Sudan. That is why we come up with processes that help facilitate exports. We are challenging our people...