EABC MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 EABC MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER EAC SECRETARY GENERAL MEETS WITH CEOs IN UGANDA providing a platform for regular dialogue with the business community on how to improve the EAC integration process for business and trade. Inside this issue: SG s CEO Forum Uganda. Uganda International Trade Fair EAC Man power Survey 4 SG s CEO Forum in Burundi 1,2 3 5 The Secretary General (SG) of the East African Community (EAC), Dr Richard Sezibera on the 08/ 10/ 2012 met with chief executive officers (CEOs) at Serena Hotel, Kampala Uganda in a meeting which was hosted by the East African Business Council (EABC) in partnership with Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA). The SG Regional CEOs Forum (SG CEO Forum) is a unique platform bringing together CEOs of regional businesses within the EAC. The main objective is to provide a platform for regular dialogue with the business community on how to improve the EAC integration process for business and trade. CEO breakfast meetings have already been held in Kenya, Rwanda Tanzania and the recently concluded Ugandan Forum, The forum convened over 100 Chief Executives and identified infrastructure development as a major hindrance to the competitiveness of the region. Also, forging ways to ensure there is free movement of goods and services in the region, issues of standards, quality and counterfeits were also on the minds of business sector leaders. was also one of the major discussions, Ugandan Government recently petitioned the Kenyan government to order the release of large volumes of cargo stuck at the port of Mombasa but little has been achieved so far since KPA is continuing to charge the traders. Everest Kayondo, the chairperson of Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita), said Ugandan traders are supposed to deal with their clearing agents at the Port for a fee and not the Port authorities. He gave an example of imported Prados, which he said were being charged Shs 16 million each once it transits through the Kenyan Port which he said traders are not supposed to pay. He said many containers of goods are being detained by the KPA because owners have failed to clear the fees demanded by the Kenyan government. Higher Education Forum 6 Some of the presenters included Mr. Vinay Dawda, the managing director for Britania Group who presented a paper on standards, quality and counterfeits, said counterfeits seen at the regional market damaged the reputation of registered and genuine businesses. The Cash bond issue at Mombasa port Mr. Gideon Badagawa CEO of Private Sector Foundation speaking at the CEO forum in Kampala. 1

2 CONTINUATION OF EAC SECRETARY GENERAL WITH CEOs IN UGANDA. MEETS The Kenyan government has not been very clear on why they are charging the traders but the latter says the move is intended to exploit them since all their goods transit through the Port. Kayondo said traders are planning to stop using the Mombasa port and resort to Dar es Salaam port where such "illegal" fees are not charged. The EABC Chairman Hon Gerald Ssendaula, told participants at the meeting that he was not happy with the way Kenya treated the Ugandan traders and would fight for them to have the rules removed. In the next three days we will engage the presidents of the two states if the cash bond rules are not removed, Ssendaula said. We are not impressed at all, he added. That is not healthy for the EAC integration. The Secretary General of East African Community Dr Richard Sezibera during the CEO forum in Kampala, also disclosed that, the Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam negotiations to have the ports as regionally owned ports under the management of private players are in advanced stages. he went ahead to say "I believe this move will create a competition bringing down further the cost of doing business in the region, which will in turn increase investment and economic growth. Below are Ugandan CEOs during the Secretary General CEO Forum in Kampala. 2

3 EABC MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER Page 3 EABC MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN THE UGANDA INTERNTERNATTIONAL TRADE FAIR UGITF is a well-established multi-sectoral trade event that has in the last nineteen; (19) years provided a unique platform for marketing products and services. It has enabled participants from overseas to introduce new and improved technologies on the Ugandan and East African markets. The Uganda International Trade Fair brings together about nine hundred exhibitors every year from eighteen different countries, mainly from Africa, Europe, Asia and the East African region. The fair brings together more than fourteen thousand participants every year. The dates for the trade fair for the year 2012 were October 4 th 8 th EABC with support from ACBF facilitated its members in the Uganda International Trade Fair for purposes of enhancing trade and networking opportunities and also exposing the members to business opportunities available in the different parts of the world. Among the members who attended were; Below are some of the pictures for EABC and our members during the Uganda International Trade fair (UMA Trade fair). Above are participants visiting the East African Business Council stall during the trade fair. Company Name: East Africa Tourism Platform SULOF Rwanda Industries Association of Burundi Women Entrepreneurs Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Ltd. UTEXRWA S.A, KIGALI RWANDA Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association. EABC Chamber of Hotels and Tourism Name Waturi Watamu (Kenya) Atma Prakash(Rwanda) Kamara Lyse (Burundi) Hassan Ahmad (Tanzania) Mehta Dharmendra Bhanuprasad (Rwanda) Ms Dorothy Konduhukye (Uganda) Dona Sava and Lilian Awinja Edouard Bagumako (Burundi) Representative from SULFO Rwanda sharing information with the participant. A number of private sector members where interested in knowing about EABC and the EAC integration. EABC members were able to create links and networks with potential business people from Uganda, with around 300 participants visiting the EABC Stall As EABC we were able to market our Business Agenda, Directory,EABC membership as well as other services to the various visitors. 3

4 EABC MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER Page 4 MEETING OF THE REGIONAL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON THE EAST AFRICAN MANPOWER SURVEY HELD FROM 3 RD TO 5 TH OCTOBER 2012 The meeting of the Regional Technical Working Group took place from 3 rd to 5 th October 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting was organized by the EAC Secretariat and was attended by representatives from all the Partner States Ministries/ Bureaus responsible for Planning, Labour and Statistics. The main objective of the meeting was to take stock of the current status of conducting the EA manpower survey by the Partner States, so as to share best practices and lessons learnt in undertaking the national manpower survey and discuss resource mobilization strategies to finance the remaining phases of the manpower survey. During the meeting it was established that two Partner States namely Rwanda and Kenya were at advanced stage of completing the exercise. The two had already conducted the pilot survey and proceeded to conduct the main survey and were now cleaning their data and writing their reports. It was reported that the remaining three other countries that is Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, had started the process but were in various stages of implementing the various models of the survey. Tanzania and Burundi had conducted the pilot study but they were yet to conduct the main survey, while Uganda is yet to start both the pilot and the main survey. The meeting noted that the exercise had met several challenges, hence the delay in the process. Some of the challenges included ; The donor funds that were expected through ILO, EAC were not realized, hence EAC countries had to rely on funds from parent ministries which were not adequate and forth coming. The little funds that were given by EAC had not been adequately accounted for. There was also a breakdown in communication between Partner States in the way to conduct the exercise and this took time to get guidance from colleagues. During the meeting members shared best practices of doing the work and ways of solving problems that arose time after time in handling of the exercise. The meeting recommended as a way forward that each Partner State should strive to complete the survey and that they will produce similar reports which will be used to analyze and produce the man power baseline for East Africa which was vital for planning. There should be constant communication to exchange information that is needed to conclude the exercise. Mr. Salim Mwawaza a project coordinator for the East African Employers Platform (Organisation) represented EABC in this meeting. The East African Employers Organisation is a platform that engages both National employer s organizations and other players in the sector with each others on issues that relate to regional integration especially on the implementation aspect of EAC Common Market Protocol concerning the clauses on free movement of Labor; labor standards and regulatory environments; skills development and mutual recognition. It was not easy to conduct surveys on some modules like that of Diaspora, self- employment and that of unemployed persons. 4

5 EABC MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER Page 5 EAC SECRETARY GENERAL MEETS WITH CEOs IN BURUNDI Burundi on the 22/ October /2012 marked the 5th Secretary General (SG) CEO s forum in a breakfast meeting which was held at Hotel du lac Tanganyika. Like other partner states the meeting was hosted by the East African Business Council (EABC) in partnership with Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA). The CEO breakfast meeting convened over 100 Chief Executives and was also attended by government officials such as the Burundi minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Hafsa Mosi East African Legislative Assembly member and other dignitaries as seen in the pictures below. Addressing the CEOs, the Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera disclosed that in 2011, EAC Partner States sustained an average of 5% GDP growth against the global average of 3%. All performance indicators depicted significant growth trends, including Foreign Direct Investment inflows, which increased from US$683m in 2005 to US$1.7b in East Africa Report 2012 shows the value of the region s total trade with the world doubled from US$17.5b in 2005 to US$37b in On Burundi s economy, Amb Sezibera said: The recently launched Doing Business 2012 Report here in Bujumbura in mid-april this year, the Report features Burundi among the top 10 economies that improved the most on the ease of doing business, moving up 8 places in the global ranking (from 177 to 169). He noted that according to the report s indicators, it still takes an average of 47 days for people in Burundi to export a product; as a compared to the Dominican Republic, which takes 8 days for a person to export a product. With regard to issues of Burundi being a landlocked country and being a small country in the region. He said an exporter in Vienna, a landlocked city in Europe for example, takes 2 days to arrange for and complete the transportation of cargo to the port of Hamburg some 900 kilometers away. This is almost the same distance from Burundi to the port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania but that that trip here in East Africa can take one week or longer mainly due to inadequate infrastructure, as well as additional controls and waiting time at our border posts, said Sezibera. He stated that the EAC Secretariat is working fulltime to implement policies which have the potential to increase investment and growth, and which also address directly issues of poverty and inequality. By promoting free trade and movement of labour, the EAC as a region can deploy to the maximum extent possible the law of comparative advantage, leading to higher incomes for their citizens. By lowering barriers to entry into business and improving regulatory frameworks, we would both promote investment and stimulate growth, he added. Above are Members during the SG s Forum in Bujumbura, Burundi. At the same occasion, Laurent Kavakure, the Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, told the CEO s that progressive elimination of non-tariff barriers; the ongoing construction of one-stop order posts and the creation of the Single Customs Territory will facilitate trade and improve the living standards of the people. 5

6 EABC and IUCEA link Universities to Business Community through the first ever Higher Education Forum from 23rd to 26th October IUCEA and EABC have agreed to jointly address issues pertinent to sustainable socio-economic development and East Africa s regional integration by, among others, enhancing linkage between the private sector and universities, encouraging the private sector to support research and innovations in universities in the region, promoting the utilization of research output and innovations from universities by the Business Community, identifying areas in higher education curricula and relevant research for the region s sustainable development, and jointly hosting meetings, forums, exhibitions and other events, starting with the 2012 Higher Education Forum. The forum which started on the 24 th will end on 26 th October 2012 in Arusha at Naura Springs Hotel in, Tanzania. The forum has brought together higher education managers, researchers, the business community, and policy makers from EAC Partner States who are deliberating on the role of universities in fostering regional integration and the development of knowledge-based economies in the East African Community, through forging linkages with the business community. Addressing the 1st East African Higher Education Forum and Exhibitions 2012, Vice President of the Tanzanian republic, Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal said higher learning institutions and private sector need to work closely for them to make a significant and complementary contribution to the region s socioeconomic development. As governments, we want you (private sector and universities) play a big role in transforming and promoting the livelihoods of the general public, the VP stated. He noted that most of the East African countries favourable environment for the higher learning and private sectors play the role in pushing forward the region s developmental agenda. He further asked varsities in the region to respond to the global demands and challenges in order to effectively contribute to a rapid socio-economic development in the region. Dr Bilal also implored the need for the region to harmonise higher education and training systems, the move that will facilitate free mobility of youths to study in a university of their choice in any Partner State and at the same time to enable cross-border mobility of graduates. EAC secretary General Amb Dr. Richard Sezibera, implored the need for the community to put more emphasis in the promotion of equity and further expansion of student s enrolment in higher education while being mindful of the need to maintain equality of the education provided and to promote the inclusion of ideas of the community at the university curricular and in research. Dr Sezibera also commended Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) and the East African Business Council (EABC) for their efforts and progress it is making towards transforming East Africa into a common higher education area. EABC executive director, Andrew Kaggwa said the forum is meant to address issues pertinent to sustainable socio-economic development and East Africa s regional integration by, among others, enhancing linkage between the private sector and universities. Mr. Magesa Mulongo Arusha Regional Commissioner Tanzania, Amb Dr. Richard Sezibera Dr. Mohammed Gharil Bilal Vice President of Tanzania and Hon Musa Sirma, Chair of council of ministers of EAC during the Higher Education Forum. 6

7 UP COMING EVENTS 1. 28th 29th October 2012 ; Preparatory meeting of Strategic Plan for Standards Platform, Nairobi Kenya. 2. 2nd November 2012, Review of Progress on the labour, Employment Agenda in view of the CMP review imp of regional Decent work Agenda Kampala th November Regional CEO Forum meeting in Nairobi th to 28th November Council of Ministers and the Summit. For Details Contact ; East African Business Council (EABC) Location: Plot No. 01, Olorien House Perfect Printers Street P. O. Box 2617 Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 (27) Fax: info@eabc-online.com Website: 7