TradeMark Africa a récemment eu l'honneur d'accueillir Mme Suomela-Chowdhury, directrice générale adjointe du département Afrique de la Finlande, qui était accompagnée d'Otto Kivinen, de l'ambassade de Finlande à Nairobi et présidente du conseil de direction de TMA. La Finlande a été un soutien essentiel de TMA au cours de la dernière décennie, contribuant à hauteur de plus de 26 millions d'euros au financement de base. Ce soutien a permis l'innovation, la durabilité et la collaboration transfrontalière, renforçant ainsi les entreprises dans les zones d'opération de TMA. Grâce à des bailleurs de fonds comme la Finlande, TMA a collaboré avec les gouvernements sur des projets visant à réduire les coûts et les délais des échanges transfrontaliers, ainsi qu'à améliorer l'environnement général des entreprises. Ces interventions comprennent la numérisation des systèmes portuaires, les postes frontières à guichet unique, l'automatisation des processus commerciaux, le soutien aux femmes dans le commerce, entre autres. Mme Suomela-Chowdhury a exprimé son appréciation pour l'agenda de la stratégie 3 de TMA, qui se concentre sur la promotion d'un environnement commercial inclusif, numérique et vert à travers l'Afrique. Allen Sophia Asiimwe, directrice générale adjointe et chef des programmes de TMA, a reconnu l'engagement continu de la Finlande à renforcer les partenariats avec l'Afrique. Ceci est tout particulièrement pertinent au moment où TMA se lance dans la conception d'une nouvelle programmation destinée à générer des impacts encore plus importants dans le cadre des ambitions de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (AfCFTA).

La directrice générale de l'Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a réitéré l'importance d'attirer les investissements dans divers secteurs pour stimuler la croissance économique en Afrique. S'exprimant lors du Forum d'investissement 2024 de la Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO) au Togo, Mme Okonjo-Iweala a mis en évidence les domaines clés dans lesquels l'investissement pourrait avoir un impact significatif. L'un des principaux domaines d'intervention est le développement énergétique, avec la nécessité d'investir dans les énergies renouvelables pour répondre durablement à la demande croissante d'énergie du continent. En outre, elle a souligné l'importance de créer des opportunités d'emploi pour les jeunes par le biais de l'agriculture, en s'appuyant sur des mécanismes de financement innovants et des cadres réglementaires pour combler le déficit persistant de l'Afrique en matière d'infrastructures. Malgré les défis liés à la pandémie mondiale, Mme Okonjo-Iweala estime que l'intégration régionale, en particulier dans le cadre d'initiatives telles que la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECA), offre d'importantes possibilités d'attirer les investissements. Elle a souligné l'importance de réduire les coûts commerciaux dans la région de la CEDEAO et d'améliorer les infrastructures physiques et numériques pour faciliter le commerce et le développement économique. Reprenant les propos de Mme Okonjo-Iweala, Kanayo Awani, vice-président exécutif de la Banque africaine d'import-export (Afreximbank), a souligné le rôle essentiel du développement des infrastructures dans la stimulation de la croissance économique. Il a souligné la nécessité de mettre en place des mécanismes de financement durables et des cadres réglementaires pour combler le déficit...

Thursday 11 April - From today, the UK has temporarily removed export tariffs for cut flowers, with the aim of making trade with the UK easier and cheaper for growers in East Africa and beyond. Unlimited quantities of flowers can now be exported to the UK at 0% tariff, even if they transit via a third country. This is particularly important for East African flower growers who transport their blooms via third-countries or auction houses before they arrive in the UK. The move aims to increase trade and further strengthen the economic relationship between the UK and the region. UK consumers could win big too – on price, seasonality and variety. The suspension of 8% duty for cut flowers applies across the world but will be a big win for major flower growing regions in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The duty suspension will remain in place for two years from 11 April 2024 to 30 June 2026. His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, John Humphrey said: The UK’s relationship with East Africa is rooted in mutually beneficial trade. This additional flower power will allow trade to bloom. We go far when we go together… or in this case, we grow far when we grow together, further reinforcing the UK’s commitment to the expansion of trade in East Africa. In 2022, Kenya was ranked as the fourth biggest exporter of cut-flowers in the world, with 6% of global cut-flower exports. Ethiopia is the second largest cut flower producer in...

THE Organistaion of Women in International Trade (OWIT) Zimbabwe Chapter has called on women-led businesses to be more innovative, efficient and produce products that are of good quality so as to be competitive under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). AfCFTA is an ambitious undertaking that brings together 1,3 billion people in 55 African countries to create the world’s largest free trade area as measured by the number of participating member States. Its objective is the creation of an integrated market for the trade in goods and services and the free movement of people and capital. OWIT Zimbabwe Chapter in partnership with Ecobank Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Women Affairs Community Small to Medium Enterprises Development on Friday hosted the second edition of the Open Market Day and Exhibition for Women Entrepreneurs on Friday in Bulawayo. The second edition of the event which ran under the theme: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” comes after successfully hosting the first one in October last year in Harare. In an interview on the sidelines of the event, OWIT Zimbabwe Chapter president and founder of House of Organic Foods, Ms Buhlebenkosi Nyathi said they were all about creating access to international markets, value chain and finance for women. “That is why we have decided to have the second edition in Bulawayo where participants got a chance to network with other business people and hear about all the great initiatives that the Ministry, we as OWIT and Ecobank have in store for them. “Women-led...

Unsuspecting maize meal consumers could be exposed to high-levels of aflatoxin in maize imports trickling in from Uganda, the United Grain Millers Association has warned. Aflatoxin, a poison produced by fungi in cereal crops including maize, peanuts, cottonseed and tree nuts could cause fatal poisoning and an increased risk of cancer. United Grain Millers Association Chairman Kennedy Nyaga says that the millers have flagged hundreds of bags of maize consignment from Busia border entry point, with aflatoxins above recommended levels, impugning their business. “We have had to turn away Ugandan maize on account of being contaminated with aflatoxins. Nevertheless, locally sourced stock is well dried, but we are worried that after we reject this Ugandan stock, it will still end up in the local market,” Nyagah told Citizen Digital. The association has maintained that its members will not be milling the Ugandan maize, even as the supply, for the first time, outstrips demand on good weather and bumper harvest in the current season, but cautions this might shift. “Our aflatoxin testing machines have picked worrying trends in the Uganda cereals to a tune of over 200 parts per billion, as opposed to the recommended ten to twenty parts per billion in the Comesa region,” he adds, pointing to laxity by regulators to scrutinise imports. This even as in February this year, the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) received two high-end decontamination plants valued at Ksh.190 million to help clear aflatoxins in maize. One of the plants is stationed in...

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced during the State visit of the President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló, the giant strides being made by Ghanaian products under the Guide Trade Initiative of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Following the maiden rollout of the Guided Trade Initiative, President Akufo-Addo said, over 700 AfCFTA self-defined products from Ghana such as cosmetics, processed foods, coconut oil, Shea butter and garments, have been rolled out and targeted by the AfCFTA market under the Guided Trade Initiative which was launched in October 2022. Speaking at a Joint Press conference at the close of bilateral engagements with President Embaló and his Ministerial team from Guinea Bissau who are on State visit to Ghana, President Akufo-Addo said such transformative showing, “will give us the best opportunity to derive maximum benefit from our abundant natural resources and from our participation in the AfCFTA, and help bring progress and prosperity to our people” He was confident that, the participation of Ghana, and seven other countries in the GTI of the AfCFTA will stimulate intra-Africa trade, amplify the competitive advantage of participating countries and solidify their status within the global market. He added that the GTI has already enabled Ghana for instance, to make significant inroads into the East African market, notably to Kenya and Tanzania. The Guided Trade Initiative seeks to allow commercial meaningful trading and test the operational, institutional, legal and trade policy environment under the AfCFTA which aims to consolidate a market of about...

What you need to know: One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) were established in key border areas of the EAC partner states to enhance trade facilitation. However, about a decade after being launched, there is a feeling that some of the OSBPs have yet to fully serve the purpose they were set for. The performance of unified border operations within the East African Community (EAC) bloc will be reviewed. A team of officials from the EAC secretariat is on their way to the selected posts to review their performance. One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) were established in key border areas of the EAC partner states to enhance trade facilitation. They are also intended to improve cross-border procedures, specifically the unobstructed movement of people. However, about a decade after being launched, there is a feeling that some of the OSBPs have yet to fully serve the purpose they were set for. A statement issued by the EAC secretariat said the high-level mission to the border posts will begin on Tuesday next week. Four of the selected posts are on the borderline of Tanzania with its close neighbours: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. They are Mutukula on the Tanzania/Uganda border, Rusumo (Tanzania/Rwanda), Kobero/Kabanga (Tanzania/Burundi), and Namanga, a busy town on Tanzania’s border with Kenya. The border sensitization mission starts on April 9th at Nimule/Elegu, a border crossing between Uganda and South Sudan and ends on April 19th at Namanga. “The mission is aimed at reviewing the performance of the unified border posts in fostering trade...

TANZANIA: THE Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC), in collaboration with TradeMark Africa (TMA), unveiled a three-year pioneering plan yesterday to propel the Tanzanian grain sector towards global export competitiveness. The initiative project, dubbed ‘Strengthening Competitiveness in ExportOriented Staple Food Value Chains in East Africa,’ is funded by the USAID-Economic Recovery and Reform Activity (USAID-ERRA) through TMA and aims to boost regional grain trade across critical trade corridors in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Permanent Secretary, the Director of Marketing and Food Security, Mr Gungu Mabavu, commended EAGC and TMA for initiating such an important project. He noted that the government has elevated the food system agenda to a top priority in achieving national economic development. “Our vision is to feed ourselves and others commercially. This commitment aligns with the project’s design, which aims to address the low integration of farmers into formal trade that hampers cross-border market linkages and partnerships,” he added. He mentioned that the government is actively involved in implementing trade protocols under the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), positioning Tanzania as the regional food basket. The decision to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area demonstrates this commitment. In line with this, he emphasised that the Ministry is enhancing digital capacities to reduce corruption practices, including minimising person-to-person contacts during facilitation. Mr Mibavu also called for continued cooperation between Tanzania and the US, focusing on supporting youths and women by involving them in food...

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has emphasized the importance of attracting investment in various sectors to drive economic growth across Africa. Speaking at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Investment Forum 2024 in Togo, Okonjo-Iweala highlighted key areas where investment could make a significant impact. One of the primary areas of focus urged by Okonjo-Iweala is energy development, emphasizing the need for investment in renewable energy to meet the continent’s growing energy demands sustainably. Additionally, she stressed the importance of creating opportunities for youth employment through agriculture, leveraging innovative financing mechanisms and regulatory frameworks to bridge Africa’s persistent infrastructure deficit. Despite challenges stemming from the global pandemic, Okonjo-Iweala believes that regional integration, particularly through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), presents significant opportunities for attracting investments. She emphasized the importance of reducing commercial costs within the ECOWAS region and enhancing physical and digital infrastructure to facilitate trade and economic development. Echoing Okonjo-Iweala’s sentiments, Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President at African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), highlighted the critical role of infrastructure development in driving economic growth. Awani emphasized the need for sustainable financing mechanisms and regulatory frameworks to address Africa’s infrastructure deficit, citing Afreximbank’s ongoing infrastructure projects across the continent. Mabouba Diagne, Vice President in charge of finance and institutional services at ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, emphasized the urgency of focusing on agricultural production and processing. Diagne stressed the importance of establishing a circular economy and leveraging financial institutions to...

Les exportations horticoles du Kenya vers les marchés clés du Royaume-Uni et des Pays-Bas pourraient tripler si le pays mise sur la logistique du fret maritime en partenariat avec les deux pays. Le pays a signé un accord avec les deux marchés pour développer un corridor de logistique froide pour les produits kenyans. Ces accords faciliteront les investissements privés dans les infrastructures de logistique réfrigérée afin de soutenir le transport de produits frais par voie maritime. Ils porteront sur des aspects logistiques tels que les installations portuaires, les réseaux de transport et les cadres réglementaires. Le secrétaire du cabinet chargé des transports, Kipchumba Murkomen, a déclaré que le corridor de logistique froide visait à établir de nouvelles normes pour le transport de produits frais et, par conséquent, à stimuler le commerce bilatéral et à développer le secteur agricole kényan. "Un système logistique de fret maritime performant pour les denrées périssables pourrait doubler, voire tripler les exportations horticoles du Kenya, ce qui pourrait créer jusqu'à trois millions d'emplois dans les secteurs de l'horticulture et de l'agro-logistique", a déclaré le ministre des affaires étrangères lors de la signature de l'accord avec l'ambassadeur des Pays-Bas au Kenya, Maarten Brouwer. Cet accord intervient alors que le Kenya et l'UE s'apprêtent à ratifier un accord de partenariat économique approuvé par le Parlement européen au début du mois. L'UE est le deuxième partenaire commercial du Kenya et l'un de ses principaux marchés d'exportation, après l'Afrique. Près de la moitié des exportations de produits frais du Kenya,...