Rusizi, 23 October 2023 – It is still dark when Verena, a mother of five, wakes up at the crack of dawn to start her day. She is part of a cross-border cooperative alongside other women with whom they purchase legumes and vegetables from wholesalers in Rwanda to resell at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). For women who form a majority of the traders at the border crossing, this is a major part of their livelihood. The journey from Rusizi in Rwanda where they purchase their wares to the border is about 10 km. If they are unable to find a truck to transport everything across the border, they must carry the produce the last kilometer by themselves. This means spending a better part of the day on the road. “At times we carry products on our heads which in that case means going back and forth at least three times a day,” Verena explains. On any given day, cross-border traders like Verena make roughly RFW 1,000 in profit (USD 0.85) which is well under the global poverty line of USD 2.15. Trade at the border is the sole source of income for her family. Aside from slim profits, female cross-border traders like Verena face other obstacles to generating income on a daily basis. Among them, restrictions to mobility at the border brought by the global pandemic led to reliance on middlemen to sell their products at the Congolese markets at the expense of being shortchanged. “Agents often...

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has today unveiled 416 new emerging standards, signalling the country’s relentless pursuit of excellence, safety, and innovation. Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Cabinet Secretary (CS) Rebecca Miano applauded KEBS, underscoring its pivotal role in realising the broader goals of the Kenya Kwanza Government. “Through KEBS’s initiatives, we are ensuring that our products are globally competitive and reflect our nation’s dedication to safety, quality, and innovation,” she said. Speaking during the World Standards Day celebrations, the CS said that these standards form the backbone of the aspirations of Kenya Vision 2030. Expanding on the significance of the standards, KEBS Managing Director Ms. Esther Ngari emphasised their role in diverse sectors. “Today’s launch showcases our commitment to progress and the promotion of safety, quality, and sustainability,” Ms. Ngari said. Ms. Ngari noted that ten of the newly introduced standards are geared towards intelligent transport systems, a move strategically aligned with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, aiming to mitigate road traffic accidents. State Department of Industry Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Juma Mukhwana, echoed the CS’s sentiments: “The unveiling of these new standards marks a decisive step forward, bridging gaps in various sectors and enhancing the efficiency of our industries.” He praised KEBS’s efforts in ensuring that sectors such as healthcare and nutrition have robust standards and stringent measures which ensure the safety of medical devices, notably syringes, directly impacting the reduction of disease spread. “By setting high benchmarks for products like baby...

Gambian President Adama Barrow has commissioned the 24-kilometer Senegambia Bridge access road co-financed by the African Development Bank and the European Union, saying it is a critical link that will help boost trade between Gambians and the rest of Africa. African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina toured the road during a recent visit to the West African nation. He expressed satisfaction that the bridge has increased economic integration and trade between Senegal, The Gambia, and other countries in the region. "With the completion of the construction works here, we are confident that regional trade will be enhanced and goods and services passing through this access road will reach more distant countries with ease and on time," President Barrow said during the inauguration held on Monday 2 October. He said the Trans-Gambia Corridor Project, which included the construction of the Senegambia Bridge, had eliminated delays and difficulties in ferry crossings that had previously occurred between Yelli-Tenda and Bamba Tenda.  It used to take at least two days to get on a ferry to cross the Gambia River. Now it takes 10 minutes for vehicles to cross the river across the bridge. President Barrow recalled his government’s request to the African Development Bank for support to upgrade the roads and build a model one-stop border post between The Gambia and Senegal. Dr Adesina (left) and Gambian President Barrow (right) visit the Senegambia Bridge and new access roads. The African Development Bank mobilized a 16 million euro grant from the EU-Africa...

Chirundu One-Stop border post now operates 24 hours a day as Zimbabwe and Zambia seek to enhance intra-Africa trade and respond to the surge in volumes of feeder traffic from Beitbridge and Forbes border posts as well as the traffic from each country. The border had been opening between 6am and 10pm before the third shift went active for continuous operation. It is the second border post after Beitbridge to offer a 24-hour service. Chirundu Border Post has been one of key links of trade from South Africa to Zambia and other countries in the north and needed to have the same hours as Beitbridge. The extension of hours of opening of Chirundu One-Stop border post was announced by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe in a Statutory Instrument gazetted last Friday. This is also consistent with the Government’s policy thrust to improve the ease of doing business by removing all possible trade barriers that might impede on economic activity. Economic analysts said allowing Chirundu Border Post to work for 24 hours had huge benefits to the economy. Dr Langton Mabhanga of the Africa True North Strategy Institute said the extension of opening hours dovetailed with the spirit of the African integration in the context of Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement which was the theme during the African Union summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, early this year which was attended by Heads of State and Government in the continent. “The increased hours is testimony of how Zimbabwe...

Tunduma. Tanzania and neighbouring Zambia have signed agreements on addressing eight out of 24 trade challenges. Plans are also in place to resolve the remaining 16 by December 31, 2023. The move aims at facilitating trade between the two countries, including reducing truck congestion at the Tunduma border. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dr Hashil Abdallah, made the statement last Tuesday at a press conference during a joint meeting with their Zambian counterparts held at Tunduma's One Stop Border Post in Songwe Region. The two-day meeting discussed trade challenges. Dr Abdallah said the two countries have agreed that cargo, with all required permits, should be transported from Tanzania to the respective countries through Zambia without hindrance, according to trade agreements under the World Trade Organisation (W TO) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He also directed all public institutions serving transport service businessmen to ensure they were not blocked from doing their businesses without tangible reason. They, instead, insisted that they should be assisted in addressing their challenges, especially in the acquisition of permits. To ensure the success of the measures, Dr Abdallah called on transporters to ensure they obtained all necessary permits before starting their journeys. Zambia's Director of Foreign Trade, Ms Lillian Bwalya, said her country had committed to addressing the challenges in order to promote cross-border trade between the two countries. At the meeting, Tanzania's Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance (Management and Economics), Mr Elijah Mwandumbya, insisted that...

The IMF and the World Bank are sounding a warning that global authorities are falling off course in their endeavors to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. Growing income disparity between rich and poor nations is effectively undermining hopes of eliminating extreme poverty on a global scale. In response, policymakers are calling for a multilateral strategy to safeguard countries from the economic challenges stemming from ongoing global crises. Global financial experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are sounding a warning that authorities are veering off course in their efforts to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. According to these international organizations, weaker economies are becoming increasingly vulnerable to external shocks, which are disproportionately affecting emerging markets and developing economies. imultaneously, the gap in income levels between affluent and impoverished nations is growing more pronounced, effectively diminishing the prospects of achieving the goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030. Eliminating extreme poverty These insights were disclosed during the 2023 World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Marrakech. A joint statement that offers the way forward was signed by prominent figures, including World Bank President Ajay Banga, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Kingdom of Morocco Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah, and Bank Al-Maghrib Governor Abdellatif Jouahri. Simultaneously, policymakers are now advocating for a multilateral strategy to shield countries from the economic adversities caused by ongoing global crises. These challenges range from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and severe weather conditions impacting various regions to internal conflicts...

IT is estimated that every year, more than 600 million people fall sick from different types of foodborne illnesses. The burden of such illness falls most heavily on the poor and young children. Other reports indicate that foodborne illnesses are also responsible for more than 420,000 preventable deaths every year. At the ‘Regional Training on Scientific Basis of Codex with focus on Data Generation and provision for Standards Setting’ held here in Zanzibar recently, Dr Stella Kiambi from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) mentioned that about 34 percent of all these deaths affect children under the age of five years, despite them representing only nine percent of the global population. Dr Kiambi who spoke on behalf of Mrs Nyabenyi Tipo, FAO Country Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania said further that according to the World Bank, food safety-related issues cost developing countries up to $110 billion in lost productivity and medical treatment in 2016 alone, affecting national economies, trade and tourism, stimulating sustainable development. It is behind this background that the Codex Alimentarius, or “Food Code”, a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) are being emphasised and strengthened in different countries, including East Africa to minimise unsafe foods. CAC is the central part of a joint FAO/World Health Organisation (WHO) Food Standards Programme and was established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade. “Food Safety is a concept that fully materialises through...

Standard Chartered has published its Future of Trade: Africa report, highlighting the outlook for African trade and providing a view of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key proponent of optimising intra-African trade. The report finds that Africa’s total exports will reach USD952 billion by 2035 and the AfCFTA, once fully implemented, has the potential to increase this figure by a further 29 per cent. This represents an annual growth rate of 3 per cent from now until 2035. Rising regional trade levels and greater connectivity will unlock high–growth corridors across Africa and beyond. Intra-Africa trade is expected to reach USD 140 bn by 2035, equating to 15 pe rcent of Africa’s total exports. Africa’s corridors with some of the world’s most dynamic regions will grow faster than the global average of 4.3 per cent. The East Africa-South Asia corridor is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing major corridor, at 7.1 per cent per annum through to 2035. The Middle East-North Africa and the Middle East-East Africa corridors will also be substantial, with their combined trade volume expected to reach almost USD200 billion by 2035. The AfCFTA is not the first attempt made by Africa’s markets to promote greater cohesion, but the existing agreements often have overlapping or contradicting objectives – creating a “spaghetti bowl effect”. There are eight significant Regional Economic Communities (RECs) recognised by the African Union (AU), and most AU markets are enrolled in two or more RECs, with the high costs of compliance and administration...

For the uninitiated, a national single window (NSW) system allows traders and other economic operators to submit information to multiple government agencies through a single-entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit requirements. The concept has been driven by the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which came into force in February 2017. Article 10 (4) of the agreement advocates the establishment of NSWs to enable traders to submit data requirements through a single-entry point to regulating authorities. Achieving meaningful results in establishing single-window systems depends principally on building genuine stakeholder collaboration. Enabled through an Act of Parliament passed in 2021, the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) has made significant progress in improving the efficiency of Pakistan’s cross-border trade, having successfully integrated nine other government agencies, including Pakistan Customs, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, the Department of Plant Protection, and the Ministry of Narcotics Control, among others. However, it is the NSWs’ ability to transcend borders that makes it genuinely remarkable, serving as a vital bridge between nations and their global trading partners. The single-window environment is a realm where innovation supports economic diplomacy, technology is the catalyst for smoother cross-border transactions, and collaboration among nations redefines the essence of global trade. NSW systems are evolving into a powerful instrument of international cooperation, enabling exchange of trade data across international boundaries in real time, reducing trade barriers, and promoting transparency on a global scale. In this article, we look at PSW’s multi-tiered international perspective as it seeks to leverage partnerships...

Revenue officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo have concluded a 9-day benchmark on the Uganda Revenue Authority’s One Stop Border Posts in preparation for installation of the customs office at the Mahagi border. Speaking at the closure of the benchmark, the Assistant Commissioner for Learning and Development, Irene Mbabazi Irumba, appreciated the partnership and how the two countries have support one another. “Uganda and DRC share the same interests and mandate of facilitating trade and making our nations independent by collecting enough revenue to ensure our citizens get better services,” said Irumba. She also appreciated their zeal for sharing knowledge as an avenue for building the capacity of staff from both countries. Fiona Tubeine Nyamurungi, the Manager of the Transit Monitoring Unit at URA emphasized the need to apply the recommendations agreed upon, which included creating space for Uganda at Mahagi and Kasindi as an intermediate solution to facilitate trade. “For OSBP to be operationalized, there is a need to reorganize the offices. Create space for our officers so that we can work together to facilitate trade smoothly for the benefit of both countries,” said Nyamurungi. On the other hand, the Assistant Director, General Directorate of Customs and Excise (DGDA), Dido Ilembwa Bosekompanda, appreciated URA’s hospitality throughout the benchmark and the knowledge shared on one-stop border points, saying that the knowledge will build the revenue officials’ capacity to control movement at customs. “Our presence here in Uganda is to see that we work together as customs officers, build relationships...