The East African region has embarked on harmonizing laws on illegal wildlife trade as part of efforts to fight vice. The director, ministry of tourism, wildlife and antiquities, James Lutalo, said they are already working on mechanisms on how they can combat the illicit trade. "We want our laws to be harmonized. We want all countries to have tough punishments for the perpetrators like in Kenya where they have a life sentence," he said. Lutalo disclosed this while closing a five-day workshop training for law enforcement officers from different agencies on the prevention of wildlife trafficking in Entebbe. It was facilitated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Lutalo said that although the entire East African region remains a transit route of wildlife trafficking, Uganda remains the top-most used route for many wildlife items because of its porous borders and weak laws. Margaret Kasumba, the acting law enforcement coordinator at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said they seized some 4,000kg of ivory between 2014 and 2015. She said many items go undetected due to poor coordination of various agencies and lack of skills by law enforcers. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Police also impound 4,310kg of ivory and rhino horns in 2015. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1420150/east-africa-harmonize-laws-wildlife-trafficking#sthash.rJXe1qrE.dpuf Abel Kagumire, the manager, enforcement operations at URA, said most items were seized at Entebbe Airport disguised as shear butter, while others were camouflaged as matooke and aircraft equipment in transit to Singapore and Netherlands. Lutalo said wildlife trafficking is categorized as...

This is a critical and strategic discussion that should continue and I’m glad it was triggered by the Minister of Trade and Industry; it means it is high on the agenda of the Government of Rwanda. For industrialisation to take place, there are many prerequisites: universities must be actively involved in research and development, availability of basic infrastructure (electricity, water, transportation and Internet connectivity), access to finance (and even preferential treatment for local firms...just replicate the EXIM banks in most OECD countries) and reduction of government red tapes. During the conversations, I would also throw this question out there; what is really our competitive advantage? If we think we can manufacture tyres in Rwanda and be competitive then indeed we are missing the point. I also don’t agree with these rules of nationalistic protectionism being promoted at the East African Community level; it creates uncompetitive and non-innovative companies (this sounds like welfare of sorts...Europe has tried it before and failed). For Rwanda, what we should focus on is how to aggregate in environment protection, textile, coffee, food processing and export (products and services) to big markets in Africa, China and USA. Finally, we need to tap into outsourcing opportunities in technology and related services. That should be part and parcel of our industrialisation policy. And, don’t forget to invest in think-tanks (local and regional). Al ************************* And what is “industrialisation”? Is it switching hand work to machine work? Replacing own oriented work with factory wage work? Relinquishing personal, landlord, or...

Christopher Farai Charamba Correspondent Richard Mullin once said: “The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa . . . for he has so much to look forward to.” Over the past few years the global perception of Africa has been changing. The Africa rising narrative coupled with the positive growth rates in many regions on the continent have contributed to changing former negative attitudes the world had towards Africa. A direct consequence of this changing narrative has been an increase in international tourists to Africa. In 2014, African Business Magazine stated that Africa’s tourism industry was the fastest growing in the world. According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa’s tourism industry is set to spur more economic growth for the continent and directly employ 6,7 million people by 2021. In 2011, tourism in sub-Saharan Africa accounted directly or indirectly for one in every 20 jobs. While there has been a marked increase in international tourists to the continent, it has always been a cumbersome process for Africans travelling within Africa to other countries. With flying too expensive and considered a luxury, a lack of proper road and rail networks between African countries has limited Africans in terms of exploring their continent. Another hindrance has been the need to obtain a visa to visit other African countries and a lack of a common passport akin to the one in the European Union that would allow African nationals easier access to other African states. This,...

The 17th East African Community Heads of State Summit admitted South Sudan as a new member of the East African Community partner states. This historical endorsement was made on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 in Arusha- Tanzania. Negotiations to South Sudan’s accession to the EAC began in November 2014 and truly there has been relatively an accelerated timeline to their conclusion. This clearly shows the willingness of all stakeholders to have the World’s newest nation join the East African community. The whole idea of the EAC integration is largely about creation of a wider market base, infrastructure development and guaranteed security within the region. The inclusion of south Sudan as an EAC partner state certainly provides a much needed push for both a wider market base from 150 million people to 162 millions and ultimately a beam of light in our regional security angle. A key feature of South Sudan’s membership is undoubtedly the thrust on strengthening the already existing market especially for agricultural produce. Here, Uganda and Kenya have significantly enjoyed trading with South Sudan and this has resulted into traders bringing in millions of dollars that have boosted our foreign exchange base. As for infrastructure development, we are likely to witness a tremendous improvement of the road network from partner states towards South Sudan. The standard gauge Railway project that was commissioned on October 8, 2014 will also take a shorter period to accomplish than otherwise expected. It’s also important to note that our region has largely experienced security...

NAIROBI (HAN) March 21. 2016. Public Diplomacy & Regional Security News. Local industries have received a major boost after the East African Community relaxed the rules on goods made in partner states. According to the revised rules of origin, goods made in partner states will now be sold duty-free. The more accommodating rules of origin have been under discussion for a year, and are expected to promote locally manufactured goods to increase intra-regional trade. The biggest beneficiaries of the revised rules of origin are steel companies, East African Breweries Ltd, General Motors, Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers, Kensalt Ltd and Mikoani Traders, whose products will now benefit the preferential tariff treatment. The products will be required to have a certificate of origin issued by the originating country, showing that they have a local content input of at least 30 per cent, unlike previously when the threshold was set at 35 per cent. Under the old rules, 25 per cent duty was imposed because certain parts or ingredients used in their assembly or production were imported from outside the economic bloc. Key products, on which duty has been scrapped are East African Breweries Ltd’s Smirnoff Vodka (Red and Blue), Smirnoff Ice (Black and Red), and Gilbeys. Motor vehicles manufactured from completely knocked down kits (CKDs) by General Motors; vehicles manufactured by Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers; wheat flour made by Mikoani Traders in Tanzania, salt manufactured by Kensalt Ltd and steel products (nails, chain links, welded wire mesh) will be exempted from the duty. According...

The 17th Ordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit, early this month, endorsed and launched the EAC Vision 2050, a blueprint articulating the bloc’s desired future of a prosperous, competitive, secure, stable and politically-united Community. According to a communiqué, the EAC leaders committed to implementing the vision and ensure that by 2050, the bloc will have transformed into an upper-middle income region within a secure and politically united east Africa based on the principles of inclusiveness and accountability. The Vision was initially approved during a Council of Ministers’ meeting in Arusha, in 2014, after which a steering committee was established, to provide quality assurance of the process. Consultations were reportedly undertaken among a multidisciplinary team of experts from the Partner States and the EAC Secretariat with technical inputs from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Consultations focused on identifying priority areas that would underpin the Vision for the next 34 years. Rwanda’s EALA member Dr Odette Nyiramilimo is one of the people who participated in the process. Though she had not yet had a chance to read the final document, Dr Nyiramilimo told The New Times, last week, that the most important aspect that was included, “is that EAC will be developed, at least to the level of middle income countries.” “For that to happen, the political federation would have been achieved,” she said. Dr Nyiramilimo noted that she is optimistic that the process of implementation will go forward, “because we have visionary leaders,” and it...

In Summary: The money is sought from Exim Bank of India, the Indian government’s other sources and from investors in the Asian nation through their Confederation of Indian Industry. New Delhi. Tanzania seeks a staggering $10.355 billion (about Sh22.5 trillion on the prevailing exchange rate) from various financiers in India as East Africa’s second largest economy seeks to fine-tune its infrastructure and put the country on the right footing to meet its development goals. The money, according to a report released at the ongoing 11th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) – Export Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership - is sought for 22 projects. The money is sought from Exim Bank of India, the Government of India’s other own sources as well as from investors in the Asian nation through their CII. This is done in the hope that certain projects can be implemented and managed under the Public-Private Partnership arrangement. A document, released jointly by the Exim Bank of India chairman and managing director, Mr Yaduvendra Mathur and CII President, Mr Sumit Mazumder and the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, General (rtd) Vijay Kumar Singh, among the various distinguished guests, shows that the National Housing Corporation (NHC) requires the highest amount of funding from Indian sources. A breakdown of the money shows that NHC alone requires a total of $6.2 billion (about Sh13.5 trillion on the prevailing exchange rate) in funding from various financiers within India’s $2 trillion economy. The amount is...

Seven border posts connecting Kenya and its East African neighbours are now complete increasing trade by 23 per cent within the bloc. Speaking on behalf of EAC chairperson John Magufuli at the third EAC assembly in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said seven of the 15 borders earmarked to operate as One Stop Border Posts (OSBP) have transformed trade within the bloc. “Seven are complete and four others are operating as OSBPs using bilateral agreements,” said Mr Majaliwa in a statement, "Trade is now at 23 per cent, over and above intra-African Trade figure of 12 per cent.” Among them are the Rwanda Burundi OSBSP connecting at Gasenyi/Nemba in Rusizi district, three Kenya – Tanzania border posts converging at Lunga Lunga/HoroHoro, Holili/Taveta, Isebania/Sirari. Others are; Uganda - Rwanda border posts converging at Kagitumba/Mirama Hills and Rwanda- Tanzania border posts converging at Rusumo. The facilities worth billions of shillings combined are part of the East Africa Trade and Transportation Facilitation Project. The project aims at modernising and strengthening customs administration and border control agencies in the region to reduce non-tariff costs on trade and smuggling at the border. PHENOMENAL INCREASE Mr Majaliwa stated that already, the current increment in the value of trade adds to the 300 per cent increase from Sh202.5 billion in 2005 to Sh607.5 billion in 2014. Majority of the border posts were completed late last year, in future the bloc is expected to register phenomenal increase in trade. "These numbers coupled with...

There has been a buzz in East Africa since Tanzania’s President John Magufuli announced on March 2 that he had clinched a deal with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for a pipeline transporting crude oil to the port of Tanga. The 1,410-kilometre pipeline, that will connect Uganda’s Albertine basin oil fields to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, is projected to cost $4 billion. There is regional drama here, because Tanzania is seen as having beaten out early favourite Kenya. News reports quoted Kenyan officials saying the Uganda-Tanzania deal wasn’t done yet, and that it was scheduled to hold meetings with Kampala. The pipeline through Kenya would cost slightly more – $4.5 billion. Tullow, which has oil discoveries in Uganda and Kenya, came out in favour of the route through Kenya, saying it offered “obvious economies of scale.” Clearly, there is more than economics at play here. First, though, the pipeline project has to take off, and with oil still hovering just over $30 a barrel, there are those who are sceptical that it will do so any day soon. Matters have not been helped by the fact that Uganda’s violent and shambolic February election has given investors the jitters and it could take a few more months for the dust to settle and the Museveni government to succeed in calming nerves and restoring confidence in the country. That said, from one point of view, there is a not-so-silent race between Kenya and Tanzania for the title of the largest economy in East...

I was delighted to return to warm and beautiful Tanzania, a close ally of the United Kingdom, on March 7-8. The UK-Tanzania partnership is strong. The UK is the largest foreign investor in Tanzania, and the second largest donor. During my visit I saw first-hand how that partnership is making tangible changes to Tanzania’s economy, and to people’s lives. For example, funds provided by UK Export Finance are helping construct the new terminal at Julius Nyerere International Airport; UKAid is helping expand the capacity of Dar es Salaam port; and UK experts are supporting Tanzanian police in tackling the illegal trade in drugs, organised crime and corruption. I also saw how weak infrastructure holds back cities. At one point during my visit, there were torrential rains that resulted in a power blackout and a gridlocked city, delaying essential meetings and the sense of routine business. The infrastructure deficit was visible. I am, therefore, pleased that the Department for International Development (DfID) is supporting a government programme with the World Bank to help make Dar es Salaam more resilient to these extreme weather events. With regard to opening the Dar es Salaam Port, DfID is supporting Trademark East Africa to create more space and make roads more accessible. We are also supporting critical feasibility studies necessary for the government to secure finance through the World Bank to improve the port infrastructure to help the country realise the trade benefits of improved transport corridors and reduced transit time for freight. We want...