NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 25 – TradeMark Africa (TMA) has announced the appointment of a new board of directors. The newly appointed members are from East Africa Community states to represent diversity and present a balance of representation. They include Tanzanian entrepreneur and philanthropist Ali Mufuruki who takes over as the chairman of the board. He is the Chairperson of Infotech Investment Group Limited where he is also the Chief Executive Officer. Other boards where he sits as the chairperson include Msingi Limited Kenya, Legacy Capital Partners Limited Tanzania and Chai Bora Limited Tanzania. “The newly appointed board will work as advisors of Trade Mark East Africa. We will not be employees of the company. We also do not have any shares in the company which ensures that we remain objective to matters affecting company,” said the incoming chairman. Rosette Chantal Rugamba from Rwanda will also sit on the board. Rugamba, who is currently the Managing Director of Songa Africa Limited, is an Aspen Global Leadership Network Fellow and special advisor to the Secretary General UN World Tourism Organization. She also sits on other boards such as that of Equity Bank Rwanda, Sonarwa Insurance Company and Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund International among others. Others to be appointed board members include Patrick Obath from Kenya who also sits at the board of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya, and Unga Group Holdings Limited among others. Obath is currently the Managing Consultant of Eduardo and Associates. It will also include...

More than five years in the making, the ambitious African trade agreement known as the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), officially launched in June, aims to bring together three key African trading blocs—the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)—to create a common market spanning the continent from Cairo to Cape Town. With a huge free trade zone encompassing a region of more than 626 million people and a total gross domestic product of $1.2 trillion—equivalent to 58 percent of the continent’s entire GDP—the deal hopes to succeed where earlier, smaller efforts have failed in boosting intra-African trade and economic integration. So far 16 countries have signed on, with another 10 expected to do so after they fully comply with their own internal protocols for joining a binding international agreement. Although the endorsement of 26 African heads of state is in itself a major achievement for the TFTA, there are still many barriers that must be overcome to make this deal a success before negotiations are concluded Source: World Politics Review

TANZANIA Ports Authority (TPA) will register another milestone today with the arrival of the longest Post Panamax vessel ever to call at the Dar es Salaam port. The vessel with 255 metres long is expected to arrive in Dar es Salaam today and later berth at a facility operated by the Tanzania International Container Terminal (TICTS). The vessel, Clemens Schulte, which was built last year, is a container ship registered in Singapore, with gross tonnage of 51,872 and dead weight of 65,193. Its length and breadth is 255m x 37m. TPA acting Corporate Communications Manager, Ms Janeth Ruzangi, said the arrival of the vessel from LaemChabang port in Thailand is testimony of growing confidence of international shipping lines in the port. “This shows the confidence on us is growing day by day due to increased efficiency in port services,” she said. TICTS Corporate Development Director, Mr Donald Talawa, the last longest vessel to call at the terminal was MSC Martina with 242 metres long in February 2015. Clemens Schulte is expected to discharge 250 containers and load 1,300 containers during this maiden call. Dar es Salaam port is undergoing massive transformation to improve its physical infrastructural capacity and enhance operational efficiency. Improvements at the Dar es Salaam port include implementation of Integrated Electronic Payment System (IePS) for all dues and the Integrated Security System (ISS). The port in collaboration with other stakeholders is now operating 24/7. It is expected that Dar es Salaam port’s throughput will be increase to 18...

TMA is the first company in East Africa to receive the Award Nairobi, 26th August 2015. TradeMark Africa today received the world’s most prestigious corporate procurement certification from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). The award was presented to TMA at the DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi during a press conference led by the organization’s vice chairman, Tim Lamont and CEO Frank Matsaert. The award makes TMA the second organisation in Africa, after the Africa Development Bank, to receive the certification, and the first in East Africa. [caption id="attachment_8703" align="alignleft" width="600"] From left Felix Muema-Branch Chair Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Kenya, Frank Matsaert-CEO TradeMarkEast Africa (TMA), Tim Lamont,-Vice Chair of the TMA Board, Ken Jones-Chief Operating Officer TMA, André Coetzee-Managing Director CIPS Africa and Isaac Mwesigye-Procurement director TMA[/caption] The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) informed TMA of the certification this week after a detailed evaluation of the organisation’s procurement structures and practices. CIPS analysed TMA procurement processes according to 110 questions under the following headings: leadership & organization, people, performance management, process & systems and strategy. The CIPS process, through the 110 questions, provided the greatest audit, internal/ external and constructive feedback received from internal and external stakeholders. After an evaluation period of 8 months, TMA received the news of the certification on Monday making it the first East African company to have qualified for the award. “This award serves as further proof of TMA adhering to the highest international standards in procurement, maintaining...

The recent inauguration of the New Suez Canal on the waterfront in Ismailia City in Egypt is seen as an economic boost not only to the host country, but also to countries on East Coast of Africa because its operation will increase international maritime traffic in African major ports including Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Bagamoyo. The 35 kilometre canal expansion that provides a gateway to vessels which navigate to serve East African countries and the rest of Sub Saharan Africa region would help increase the number of shipping lines coming to offload their goods at respective ports. The Deputy Ambassador of Egypt to Tanzania Ahmed Abdel Rahim said in Dar es Salaam this week that the operation at the newly inaugurated canal has increased the number of shipping vessels from the former 49 to 97 per day. He told the Guardian on Sunday that as cargo handling has become a competitive business worldwide, it was time for Tanzania to benefit through her ports by receiving as many shipping lines as possible. The Ambassador was elaborating on the recent visit by Tanzanian Vice-President Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal who attended the inauguration ceremony representing President Jakaya Kikwete who was invited together with other African leaders across the continent. The invited guests witnessed a big economic achievement spearheaded by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi aimed to boost African economic link with other continents such as Europe, Asia and Australia. Describing the importance of the canal to the rest of African countries, the Deputy...

The East Africa Community's conference of women in business was launched at the KICC in Nairobi on Thursday. The event brought together women from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya to share their experiences about doing business in their countries. It was also a forum for them to network with their sisters from across the region. The main speakers were East Africa Community secretary general Amb Richard Sezibera, East Africa Community, Trade and Tourism cabinet secretary Phyllis Kandie and National Assembly deputy speaker Joyce Laboso. Also in attendance were the East Africa women in business chair Dorothy Tuma, KNCCI women in business chair Martha Mugambi and UNDP inclusive business adviser Minaj Nieminen. Source: All Africa

The official statements are clear: Regional leaders and policymakers want to make the 26-member Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) the main stepping stone towards the gradual establishment of the Continental FTA (CFTA) comprising the 54 members of the African Union. Indeed, during the June 2015 African Union Summit in Johannesburg leaders ambitiously insisted that the negotiations on goods and services for the establishment of the CFTA be concluded by 2017. High-level political will seems to be strong. The challenge, now, is to convert this political will into something more than a paper agreement. The importance of stakeholder involvement The real effectiveness any trade agreement (or the expansion of an existing one) ultimately depends on the support and the involvement of the key stakeholders—most importantly the private sector—in the design and the implementation. Surprisingly, the regional private sector has not been vocal about its support for either the TFTA or the CFTA. The absence of vigorous national debates about the pros and cons of these agreements has been quite notable. In many countries, the prevailing attitude of the business community ranges from a cautious optimism to a wait-and-see approach. Perhaps this lack of interest is due to a lack of mobilization or consultation at the local level. Or it could be due to a lack of understanding regarding the stakes and potential benefits from what many consider a top-down process. These stakeholders will ultimately put pressure on governments to pursue or reject steps to the CFTA. Thus, in order to comprehend...

East Africa entrepreneur Ali Mufuruki and former WTO Director General Pascal Lamy part of TradeMark Africa’s 11 member board Nairobi – August 25th, 2015 – TradeMark Africa (TMA) today announced the appointment a new Board of Directors. This follows successful completion of a rigorous appointment process of highly-experienced East African nationals. Chaired by Tanzanian entrepreneur Ali Mufuruki, the new Board comprises leading business and civil society professionals in East Africa. Former World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy joins the Board as Special Advisor. In 2013, TMA embarked on a process of developing its governance arrangements. TMA’s investors assume a shareholder role with a day to day oversight of the organisation undertaken by the independent Board. The appointment of the Board members is a strong endorsement of TMA as an inclusive and results driven organisation whose key mandate is to increase prosperity in East Africa. TMA funding has grown to a US$700m budget since its inception in 2010 with presence in all EAC Partner States and South Sudan. "I am proud to welcome such an experienced pool of industry professionals to the board of TradeMark Africa," said Ali Mufuruki, Board Chairman of TMA. "We conducted an exhaustive search for individuals who have proven track records in their respective professions, and are delighted to have identified such outstanding individuals. These board members who comprise professionals from both government, donor institutions and the private sector, bring extensive international and regional expertise in the development sector, executive management and the donor community...

LAST month I attended the African Leadership Forum in the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam on the theme of Moving Towards an Integrated Africa. The meeting was hosted by former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa’s Uongozi Institute and was attended by former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Festus Mogae (Botswana), Jerry Rawlings (Ghana), Bakili Muluzi (Malawi) and Hifikepunye Pohamba (Namibia), as well as civil society actors. Delivering the keynote address was Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has long fancied himself a "Bismarck of East Africa", with dreams of creating a political federation in a subregion consisting of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. His address pushed for a larger East African market to increase the leverage of the subregion to negotiate more effectively with external actors. Citing the high level of cultural integration in the subregion — reinforced by the common lingua franca of Swahili — he called for a political union, noting that for such efforts to succeed, East African leaders would need to explain to their 140-million citizens how regional integration could enhance their prosperity and security. I had the opportunity, from the audience, to challenge Museveni — who has been in power for 29 years — on the issue of presidential term limits, noting that on assuming office in 1986, he had criticised African leaders for overstaying in power. Museveni deflected the question by arguing that the issue was not about overstaying in power, but rather overstaying "in the resistance" — presumably to "neocolonialism". Contradicting his reputation as...

Businesses in Tanzania will now need a tax clearance certificate from the Tanzania Revenue Authority for the annual renewal of their licences. The requirement, which had been repealed in 2004, comes after an amendment was made in the Tanzania Business Licensing Act (CAP 208) in June. But the Confederation of Tanzania Industries director of policy and advocacy Hussein Kamote said the amendment to the law would increase bureaucracy and by extension, the cost of doing business. “What if TRA delays approving the audited books of accounts?” Kamote asked. “That would delay the licence. I think they should revert to the previous procedure.” The latest World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index places Tanzania at number 131 out of 181 nations across the globe. The tax clearance is issued by TRA while the licence is issued by the Trade Ministry. A source at the Dar es Salaam Merchants Chamber told The EastAfrican that some chamber members are forced to spend large sums of money on financial statement audits at the wrong time of the year to appease the TRA, a problem that forces some members to offer bribes. The head of the Business Licensing Department at the Ministry of Trade, Christopher Nasari, and TRA Deputy Commissioner for Internal Revenue Generous Bateyunga, said the procedure has been reintroduced to curb tax evasion. The tax clearance certificate is a condition for obtaining a business licence everywhere in East Africa, Mr Nasari said. It is, therefore, common practice that should be accepted, he added....