GREENING EAST AFRICA
The Government of Denmark reiterated its commitment to support green trade and the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the East African region by signing two financial agreements worth USD 17.5 million with TradeMark East Africa (TMEA).The two agreements will support Kenya’s efforts to transition to Green Trade and creation of sustainable jobs, and also support continued response to COVID-19 under TMEA’s Safe Trade Emergency Facility Programme.
A BOOST FOR REGIONAL TRADE
A financial agreement worth €10.5 million between the Government of Finland and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) was signed early March 2021. Through this new Finnish funding, TMEA will scale up support to governments to adopt ICT for Trade systems in key trade agencies that contribute to the successful implementation of National Single Windows.
EMERGING IMPACT
HIGHWAY TO PROSPERITY
British Ambassador, Kate Foster joined Somaliland President H.E. Muse Bihi in launching the main construction phase of the 22.5 km Hargeisa bypass. The UK-supported bypass will reduce the time and cost of transporting goods between Berbera Port and landlocked Ethiopia by addressing a strategic chokepoint on the Berbera corridor. With Ethiopia’s trade volumes projected to continue expanding, Berbera also represents an alternative for increasing trade and prosperity in the Horn of Africa.
AUTOMATION= FAST TRADE PROCEDURES
TradeMark East Africa supported Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives to launch a system that automates issuance of import and export services provided by the Agriculture and Food Authority of Kenya (AFA), the government regulatory agency. Funded by Denmark with a contribution of US$1.37 million, the system will provide an efficient platform for delivery of technical and advisory services, market research, product development, regulations and compliance functions for export and import of the cash crops.
SAVE TIME, SAVE COSTS
Through TradeMark East Africa’s support the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Tanzania’s National Standards body, launched a system that automates the standardisation and quality control of its products and services. Some of the expected benefits are a reduction in time and transaction costs as stakeholders will no longer need to visit TBS offices for services related to standards and quality control, training, collection of permits and certificates.
PROGRAMMES
DIGITAL SKILLS FOR E-COMMERCE GROWTH
With funding from the European Union and UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, the Kenya Private Sector (KEPSA) launched an Ecommerce Booster Program targeting at least 2000 Micro, Small and Medium sized enterprises (MSMES). Supported by TradeMark East Africa, the program targets businesses with little or no digital presence for training and on-boarding to e-commerce platforms to ensure MSMEs can increase and diversify their revenue streams during this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
WAVING OR DROWNING?
TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), today launched a report titled, “Waving or Drowning? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on East African Trade”.The report establishes that the EAC economies were resilient against the COVID-19 pandemic effects , with exports holding up well and the regional trade balance improving due to lower imports.