Browsing: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

• Kenya-Ethiopia trade relations have been on the rise in the past 27 years, with Kenya having the upper hand. 
• Ethiopia, on the other hand, recorded an increase at an annualised rate of 23.7 per cent.
• During the Meeting Kenyan investors also undertook exhibitions showcasing some of their products.

Kenya and Ethiopia have renewed the push to streamline the bottlenecks that are hampering trade growth between the two states. A delegation of the National Assembly to the Kenya-Ethiopia Trade and Investment Mission held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has rooted for the speedy removal of bottlenecks hampering cross-border trade between both Nations.

Kenya and Ethiopia have engaged in bilateral trade across multiple sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and services, with the balance of trade hugely in favour of Kenya. In 2022, Kenya exported $95.1M (Sh12.8billion) to Ethiopia, mainly Palm Oil $12.4M (Sh1.7billion), Metal Stoppers $7.95M (Sh1.1billion), and Yeast $6.92M (Sh934million).

This compares …

• EAGC funding seeks to tackle trade challenges directly by removing trade impediments and building food export capacity in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
• This is across export value chains such as Maize, Beans, Millet, Sorghum, and Rice.
• Further, a core part of this is to increase the ability of grain producers to export both regionally and to the rest of the world.

Food export competitiveness in East Africa

Through USAID’s Economic Recovery and Reform Activity (ERRA) program, the United States government has awarded a three-year grant worth $2 million to the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC).

The funding is geared towards strengthening the competitiveness of export-oriented staple food value chains in East Africa.

ERRA program is delivered by TradeMark Africa (TMA), with funding from Feed the Future. Via its five-year $75 million program, USAID and TMA are driving transformative trade and investment reforms in the East and Horn of Africa.

This …

UAE has prioritised its relations with African countries based on mutual respect and common interests in order to achieve their country’s goals for development, progress and prosperity said his Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Over the past years, UAE has made progress in this goal deepening its overall relations with African countries, he added.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed made this statement during a meeting at the Emirates Palace with Roch Marc Christian Kabore, President of Burkina Faso, who was visiting the country.

Also Read: UAE targets Kenya in a new chamber partnership

During the meeting, both heads of states discussed their bilateral relations and ways of improving and developing them in various areas. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East and Africa and regional and international issues of common concern.

The Emirati leader further added that the relations between the UAE …

The European Investment Bank (EIB) recently partnered with the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) to open a $120 million credit line to finance renewable energy projects for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The agreement was signed between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Trade and Development Bank of Eastern and Southern Africa (TDB), a commercial bank owned by the Member States of COMESA, the World Bank (AfDB) and China on the sidelines of the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries

The partnership agreement was signed by EIB Vice-President, Ambroise Fayolle and Admassu Tadesse, President and CEO of TDB. The agreement provides a line of credit to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Also Read: French Development Agency provides $30 million for African SMEs

Companies have the means to bypass …

The French Development Agency (AFD) is to provide about $30 Million through its African Guarantee Fund (AGF) for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

The fund is meant to help improve access to credit to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout Africa.

The sub-participation agreement of the $30 million funds was signed by Mr Rémy Rioux, AFD Chief Executive Officer and Mr Félix Bikpo, AGF Group Chief Executive.

The agreement signed between AFD and AGF broadens the existing cooperation between the two entities, by providing AGF with a counter-guarantee of $30 million, using the ARIZ risk-sharing mechanism which is a support for the risk of financing private investment.

The risk-sharing mechanism is in a final loss guarantee offered to financial institutions by AFD to cover 50 per cent to 75 per cent of an individual loan or a loan portfolio for microfinance institutions (MFIs) and SMEs.

The counter-guarantee will enable AGF to …