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Browsing: EABC
Business people in the East African Community are now set to benefit through prompt resolution and intervention of issues disrupting trade, following the launch of the EAC-EABC Technical Working group (TWG).
Based in Arusha Tanzania, the Technical Working Group launched by the East African Community (EAC) and East African Business Council (EABC) – the umbrella body bringing together private sector associations in East Africa- is tasked with receiving and synthesizing issues received from the private sector at various levels and advise on appropriate solutions.
A statement by the EAC-EABC has revealed that the team will be chaired by EAC Director General for Customs and Trade, Kenneth Bagamuhunda and co-chaired by EABC CEO John Bosco Kalisa. It will also entail members from the national apex private sector associations in the EAC region.
The team will be responsible for following up on challenges disrupting intra-EAC trade raised by businesses and support their …
The East African Industry Captains have convened in Arusha, Tanzania at Mt. Meru Hotel, to chart out regional policy priorities geared to spur intra-EAC trade to over 30%.
The regional policy priorities were presented to the EAC Secretary General Dr. Peter Mathuki who assumed office on 23rd April 2021, in a bid to inform his vision of transforming the EAC into a prosperous, inclusive, trade and investment bloc.
Also Read: EABC calls for standardisation of Covid-19 charges
“As the industry leaders we have analyzed key trade and investment barriers, delaying East African businesses to take full advantage of the EAC Customs Union and Common Market, said Mr. John Bosco Rusagara representing EABC Chairman Mr. Nick Nesbitt at the meeting.
Finalization of the comprehensive review of the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) to boost industrialization and regional value chains; the quick elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers and operationalization of the Committee …
The East Africa private sector is upbeat on the expansion of trade and investment in the region and a rejuvenated and progressive bloc, following the assumption of office of Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki, as the new East African Community (EAC) Secretary-General.
Dr. Mathuki, an ardent champion for the inclusion of the private sector into the regional integration agenda, has this afternoon officially taken over as the new EAC Secretary-General, for a five-year term, at the EAC Secretariat headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
“Strengthening mechanisms to resolve persistent Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) that hamper intra EAC trade, deepening implementation of the Common Market protocol and restructuring the EAC Secretariat to achieve the mandate envisaged in the Treaty are some of my key priorities,” he noted in his inauguration speech.
In his first year in office, Dr. Mathuki, outlined that he will prioritise the full operationalization of the amended EAC Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers …
It is a new dawn for trade and prosperity in East Africa as the Chief Executive Officer of the East African Business Council Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki is appointed as the incoming Secretary-General of the East African Community by the 21st Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State held virtually on 27th February 2021.
Dr. Mathuki holds a PhD in Strategic Management & Regional Integration from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. As the Chief Executive Officer of the East African Business Council (EABC) he has been instrumental in driving and articulating the Private Sector priorities in EAC decision-making process.
As the EABC CEO, Dr. Mathuki has been instrumental in implementing the turn-around strategy of the East African Business Council under the vision of a borderless East Africa for increased business and investment. He has spearheaded many international, continental and regional high-level public-private dialogues aimed at resolving bottlenecks …
The East African Community (EAC) economy will is expected to rebound in 2021. But this will only happen , if EAC Partner States Governments strengthen macro-economic policy coordination and adopt a regional coordinated approach in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, a regional business body has said.
According to the East African Business Council (EABC) secretariat, COVID-19 disruptions in 2020 provided a learning curve, on the need to have sustainable EAC regional value chains integration for the development of finished products with a view of reducing industrial and trade risks arising out of external shocks.
EABC Chairman Mr. Nick Nesbitt noted that the region is projected to recover steadily but it was dependent on how the pandemic is handled.
According to the AfDB East Africa Economic Outlook 2020, the East Africa region is projected to recover to 3.7 percent in the baseline scenario and 2.8 percent in the worst-case scenario under the …
Regional business umbrella body has called for harmonization of COVID-19 charges to boost intra EAC trade.
The East African Business Council (EABC) has said that in a bid to ease the cost of doing business and boost intra-EAC trade emerging costs such as the COVID-19 related charges in the East African Community should be standardized. This is set to support businesses to be more resilient and rebound amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also Read: Kenya’s president calls on African leaders to harmonise Covid protocols
This comes days after Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta called on African leaders to harmonise COVID-19 protocols. According to the president, harmonising the protocols will determine whether the African Union (AU) meetings will be virtual or physical given the challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, COVID-19 tests are priced differently in each Partner State, while containment measures are varied. For instance, Tanzania …
The East African Business Council (EABC) has called upon South Sudan to stop charging Visa entry fees on any East African Partner States and embrace the use of National Identity cards as a travelling document across the region.
“As it is now, South Sudan still charges visa fees to EAC citizens from EAC Partner States which do not have a bilateral agreement, with the country. We also urge South Sudan to join Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to use National IDs as travel documents,” said EABC CEO, Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki.
This follows EABC’s visit at the Nimule – Elegu One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) yesterday. EABC in collaboration with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce held a meeting with the Joint Border Management Committee, deliberating on sustainable solutions on issues affecting the flow of goods and movement of persons at the border post.
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An apex regional business community has backed Ambassador Amina Mohamed’s candidature for the position of Director General at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The East African Business Council (EABC) said that this was buoyed by her promise to steer reforms towards eliminating trade barriers and implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement if selected.
This followed a virtual meeting by the Business Council that convened industry captains from the East African region to deliberate on deepening relations between the private sector in East Africa and the WTO.
Speaking from Geneva, Ambassador Amina said she would push for a vibrant multi-lateral trading system to boost Africa’s trade. “If I was selected, I would be a strong advocate for an open trading system. I’d also be a leader in reforming the system and particularly in recovering the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to the UN Economic …