The indicator in question in this column is figure 17.6.

17.6 of what?

According to published government statistics, the median weighted average age of an East African citizen is 17.6 years old. Among the 157 million East Africans alive today there are equal numbers of people over 17.6 years old as there are people under 17.6 years old.

So how do 17.6 years as a median age compare to other locales around the world?

If the EAC were a country it would be the 13th youngest country in the world with Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania bringing down the weighted average against the relatively older Kenya. To add perspective, the median age of both the #1 and #2 economies of the USA and China are more than twice as old at 37.8 years and 36.8 years respectively than an East African. Even more dramatic, ageing Japan has 46.5 years as median …

The Tanzanian government has pledged continued support to Chinese investments at the 2019 Tanzania-China High-level Investment and Business Environment Dialogue in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam on April 17, 2019.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Investment, Angellah Kairuki, said Chinese investment has had and will continue to play an important role in helping us reach our goal of attaining a middle-income country status by 2025.

She said as the two countries marked 55 years of diplomatic relations this year, Tanzania was committed to continuing working closely with China, particularly through mechanisms within the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that promotes government and private investments. However, it is unavoidable that some misunderstandings may occur in the rapidly growing and wide-ranging economic relations and trade, she told the event.

“Even so, it is my sincere belief that cooperation and common development will continue to represent the …

Southern Africa is home to about 209 million people, and its population has grown by about 2.4 per cent a year since 2010.…

Among those who require immediate early action are 10.7 million people across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and the Karamoja region in Uganda.…

The Tanzanian government has been losing about Tshs.4 billion ($1.7 million) per month in uncollected taxes on locally produced cigarettes and alcoholic beverages before Electronic Tax Stamps (ETS) started being used in January 2019.

The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General,  Charles  Kichere told  reporters on April 16^th that in March 2019, TRA collected Tshs.42.8 billion ($18.6 million) on the on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages which is an addition of Tshs.3.5 billion ($1.5 million) compared to Tshs.39.3 billion ($17 million) collected the same month last year.

The Commissioner General said the lost revenue is estimated to be higher than that because some producers are yet to enter ETS due to some reasons and the real amount of money that was being lost will be known once all manufacturers use the new tax system.

He said all local manufacturers as well as importers of cigarettes and alcoholic drinks have until …

A visiting renowned German scholar has cautioned Tanzania not to  sign an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) trade pact with the European Union (EU), saying the deal is rhymed against the country`s aspiration of becoming an industrial economy.

Addressing reporters in the capital, Dar es Salaam on 15^th April, 2019, Helmut Asche who is Professor of Economics, Politics and African studies at the University of Leipzig said as a country set to build industries and export produce, Tanzania should not sign deals that flood its market with imports.

The EPA is an anticipated trade deal between the East African Community (EAC) and the EU which gives EAC products total access to the EU market, with 82.6 per cent of imports from the EU allowed on the EAC market.

Professor Asche warned African countries against signing EPA because the arrangement does not favour their economies. He further said that Tanzania in …

Acacia Mining Plc has registered a 13 per cent fall in gold production for the first quarter of 2019, attributing the decline to lower output at its North Mara and Buzwagi mines.

The company`s Interim CEO, Peter Geleta said in a statement accompanying the quarterly report that gold production stood at 104,889 ounces , with ounces sold for the quarter standing at 104,985 ounces and in line with production.

Production in the first quarter was affected by unanticipated production issues at North Mara, which produced 66,324 ounces of gold for the quarter, cited as a 14 per cent year-on-year decrease.

The lower output was mainly driven by the consequence of a fall of ground in the Gokona underground mine in December, as well as an excavator breakdown in the Nyabirama open pit.

The fall of ground at Gokona prevented access in the quarter to two higher-grade stopes in the east, …

The portal allows users to quickly request for and receive an instant tender security

NIC Ventures, a subsidiary of NIC Group, in partnership with Masterpiece Fusion have launched an online platform dubbed “BeeDee” for trading of securities, in the wake of a strong demand in trade finance.

The platform offers a more convenient, quick and efficient self-service process for both customers and non – customers seeking to quickly request for and receive bid bonds.

BeeDee portal, is available on mobile devices and web through a mobile phone application and web portal respectively, allowing high availability and mobility since its accessible anywhere and anytime.

James Muigai, NIC Ventures Limited General Manager notes the new online service would offer companies and business entities convenient and fast access to bid bonds for various tenders they bid for since the online process takes few minutes, hence absorbing the delays experienced during the manual bidding …

Despite the immense potential for regional value chain development, West African exports more than 70 per cent of goods to Europe and North America.…

Education stakeholders meeting in Kenya have urged for curriculum reforms to be learner-centered

The Aga Khan University in Nairobi has organised a major education stakeholders as it aims at evaluating the development of education in the East African region.  The conference theme is Maximizing Educational Change: Research, Policy, Leadership, Technology and Curriculum and will run until April 17.

The conference, is hosted by AKU’s Institute for Educational Development, brought together around 100 policy makers, teachers, and education stakeholders to discuss relevant issues affecting education in East Africa.

The Chairman of the Commission for University Education, Prof. Chacha Nyaigotti-Chacha has advised education stakeholders to ensure that the ongoing curriculum review process is learner-centered.

Noting that the review of the current educational structure is inevitable, Prof. Chacha told stakeholders to ensure that they do not exert their influence to the process, at the expense of the pupils and students who need the …