Login

Lost your password?

Sign Up

Register

Login

Login

Lost your password?

Register

Thursday, May 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion

Africa's
Investment
Gateway

The Exchange
  • Login
  • Register
Subscribe
This Month's Edition
Previous Editions
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
LOGIN
www.theexchange.africa

EAC COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate will eliminate the current high transaction costs of COVID-19 testing / EABC

Private sector calls for common EAC Covid-19 vaccination certificate

The roundtable agreed to hold quarterly engagements to address new and chronic trade issues.

by Wanjiku Njugunah
October 6, 2021
in Business, Industry and Trade
0
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn
  • EAC COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate will eliminate the current high transaction costs of COVID-19 testing
  • Removal of visa fees for Uganda and Kenya by South Sudan is set to ease the free movement of persons
  • Buy East African, build East Africa campaign central in driving the economic recovery agenda for the EAC

The East African Community (EAC) has been urged to develop a common COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate by December to hasten the economic recovery of the EAC bloc.

This is one of the resolutions of the Round Table Meeting for Chief Executive Officers of apex national private sector associations convened by the East African Business Council, in Nairobi, Kenya.

John Bosco Kalisa, EABC CEO said the EAC COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate will enable mutual recognition and eliminates the current high transaction costs of COVID-19 testing and will boost intra-EAC trade, travel and tourism.

He also commended the high-level bilateral engagements by EAC Heads of State for resolving Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs). The Kenya-Tanzania Bilateral Engagement has resolved 72 NTBs. He further called for the amendment of the NTBs Act to include sanctions and clear timelines to resolve NTBs.

Speaking in the same event, Carole Kariuki, CEO of KEPSA said, “KEPSA rolled out COVID-19 vaccination drive for the private sector and today we agreed to undertake similar drives across all EAC Partner States.”

She also called for closer private sector collaboration in marketing and boosting the competitiveness of made-in-East African products to the larger African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market.

At the same time, the Chief Guest, EABC Chairman Nick Nesbitt, said the EAC bloc is the most integrated regional economic community in Africa and elaborated the vaccine roll-out strategy for the region.

Other recommendations that were called for include forming a deeper public-private dialogue at the country and regional level to ensure policies are business-centred, as well as the push for the Buy East African Build East Africa campaigns to boost intra-EAC trade.

www.theexchange.africa
EAC COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate will eliminate the current high transaction costs of COVID-19 testing/ EABC

Non-Tarrif Barriers still a thorn in EAC’s flesh

Mary Ngechu, EABC Board Director called for consolidation and aggregation of SMEs to boost product volumes and leverage on the regional and continental value chains.

Others include Juma Charles said South Sudan Chambers of Commerce Industries and Agriculture is engaging the respective ministry of foreign affairs to implement the commitments under the EAC Customs Union Protocol.

He elaborated that the removal of visa fees for Uganda and Kenya by South Sudan is set to ease the free movement of persons.

The Round Table Meeting agreed to hold quarterly engagements to address new & chronic trade issues and share best practices and appreciated the goodwill from the EAC Secretary-General to steer private sector-led integration via the EAC-EABC Technical Working Group and urged EAC Partner States to amend article 24 of the Customs Union protocol to operationalize the EAC Trade Remedies Committees tasked to resolve trade disputes

The calls come days after Kalisa said the private sector and buy East African, build East Africa campaign is central in driving the economic recovery agenda for the EAC bloc amid COVID-19.

The Director of Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Alhajj Rashid Kibowa also said the EAC Post COVID-19 economic recovery plan is under country consultation.

He further said the pandemic impacted trade performance noting that EAC import declined to 3.56 billion in 2020 from 3.95 billion in 2019.

Kibowa stated that Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the EAC dropped by 43% to USD. 4.9 billion in 2020 and jobs declined by 2%, wiping out the gains made in previous year. In 2019 EAC bloc recorded USD. 8.66 billion FDI a 375% rise from 2018.

He stated that the EAC Secretariat embarked on digitalization & harmonization of COVID-19 procedures to ease movement of cargo and holds regular consultations with the Ministries of Health, Finance and Trade to monitor and gauge the social and economic impact of COVID-19 in order for the EAC bloc to move in unison.

He added that the EAC Post COVID-19 economic recovery plan sets out key strategies namely attracting investment in ICT manufacturing & health and incentives for promotion of regional value chains.

Others include diaspora investments, innovation centres and elimination of Non-Tariff barriers.

SMEs promotion and access to new Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) markets are some of the other strategies that have been outlined.

Read: Kenya lauded for travel management portal

Tags: COVID-19 testing at the bordersEACFeaturedKenya

STATE OF ECONOMY - GET THE REPORT

ASSESSING EAST AFRICA

Loading...

Wanjiku Njugunah

Wanjiku Njuguna is a Kenyan-based business reporter with experience of more than eight years.

Related Posts

Congo joins the EAC (www.theexchange.africa)
Business

What does it mean for regional trade, investment after DRC became EAC’s 7th Member State?

May 18, 2022
Africans transforming the beauty and cosmetics market. www.theexchange.africa
Industry and Trade

Africa: Women to spend more billions on beauty products as infrastructure spending grows

May 18, 2022
Tanzania and Uganda Enhance Trade and bilateral relations during Samia's state visit. www.theexchange.africa
Industry and Trade

Tanzania, Uganda scrap road tolls and allow sugar exports in enhanced bilateral relations

May 18, 2022
Next Post
www.theexchange.africa

Google investing $1B for digital transformation in Africa

www.theexchange.africa

Sub-Saharan Africa's economy to expand by 3.3% in 2021, exits recession

how to trade forex in africa

How to trade Forex in South Africa | Guide on forex trading

Please login to join discussion




This months edition

May Edition

Features

EdTech role in African development
Tech & Business

EdTech’s role in African development

by Kanyali Muthui
May 16, 2022
0

Due to the pandemic, the topic of innovation in education has never been more crucial.  While most developed countries moved...

Read more
investment in African science and technology
Tech & Business

Investing in Africa’s science and technology: Where are we now?

by Kanyali Muthui
May 16, 2022
0

The continent’s digital revolution can largely be driven by building the necessary skills for the short- and long-term future, and...

Read more
Fintech revolution in Africa
Tech & Business

The Fintech Revolution in Africa’s FX Markets

by Kanyali Muthui
May 11, 2022
0

With over 548 million registered mobile money users in sub-Saharan Africa, increased internet access and readily available mobile money solutions,...

Read more
www.theexchange.africa
Countries

US – Nigeria Trade Relations: An Overview

by Wanjiku Njugunah
May 2, 2022
0

Nigeria is currently the United States' 54th largest goods trading partner, with US$7.8 billion in total goods trade as of...

Read more
A previous conference for African Insurtech sector. The Insurtech boom is deepening insurance uptake in Africa. www.theexchange.africa
Tech & Business

Insurtech boom deepening the uptake of insurance in Africa

by june njoroge
May 2, 2022
0

Kenya-based Pula is another distinguished insurtech making waves in the continent. It provides small scale farmers with agricultural insurance and...

Read more

News

Banking
Industry & Trade
Investing
Money Deals
Regional Markets
Tech & Biz
Opinion

Countries

Kenya
Tanzania
Uganda
Burundi
Rwanda
Southern Africa
Ethiopia

More

My Account
Contact us
Advertise
About us
Help Center

Subscribers Center

E-paper
Premium Stories
Education Rates
Corporate Subscriptions
Weekely Newsletter

  • My account
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy – The Exchange
  • Sitemap

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2021 The Exchange - Powered by MediapixManaged by Supported by Digihandler,

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In