Regional Freight Forwarders Body Launches Simplified Code of Conduct to Boost EAC Economies

Malaba, Kenya/Uganda, February 8, 2012: The Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) has unveiled a simplified version of the industry Code of Conduct aimed at entrenching integrity and professionalism among clearing and forwarding professionals in the region.

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African Trade Insurance Agency Launches Rwanda Office

A new organization opened its doors in Kigali this month. The African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) stepped into Rwanda to fill an important gap in the insurance market. The company, unlike private insurers, has a development mandate to improve the business climate in COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) member countries. Rwanda is one of the founding member countries and was involved in the initial assessment report that established ATI.

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Structured Trade in the Spotlight at USAID Feed the Future East Africa Regional Meeting

Structured Trade was the theme of USAID's 3rd Feed the Future East Africa Regional Meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on December 8 and 9. COMPETE's Staple Foods and Finance teams shared their knowledge and expertise with USAID's bilateral missions on a variety of  topics ranging from the building blocks of structured trade systems to commodity exchanges.

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COMPETE SUPPORTS WOMEN IN TRADE LOGISTICS IN EAST AFRICA

High logistics costs are a major barrier to East Africa’s competitiveness and to the region’s prospects for accelerated economic growth.  High transport costs are a function of a number of factors, among them, multiplicity of institutions, processes and documentation in the cargo clearance process from the port of Mombasa in Kenya to the hinterland countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. The multiplicity of players in the logistics supply chain in East Africa also breeds the environment for corrupt practices owing to lack of transparency. Women can play an important role in advocating for a corruption free trade environment particularly in trade logistics.

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Eastern Africa Grain Council Hosts 4th Grain Trade Summit

The 4th  African Grain Trade Summit takes place October 13th and 14th in Kampala, Uganda. This year’s theme is “Accelerating Growth in Grain Trade: Opportunities for Strategic Partnerships and Investment"; The event is organized and hosted by the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) in collaboration with USAID/COMPETE.

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