Outreach to help small traders reap from EAC

East African Community Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya addresses the media on March 7, 2018. There is a drive to help empower small businesses. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Traders from 13 counties that border the countries would be the first to be inducted.

Small businesses are being prepared to reap more from the East African Community after the government launched an outreach to empower their participation in regional trade.

The Rapid Results initiative that will run for 100 days targets to sensitise business groups and individual traders on how they can do business with correspondents from Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

EAC Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya on Thursday said traders from 13 counties that border the countries would be the first to be inducted.

“We will be engaging the public through various forums to make sure they fully understand the integration journey and what is in it for them,” Mr Munya said during the launch of the initiative.

TARIFFS
He said Kenya is pushing for a speedy revision of the East African Community common external tariffs to save its narrowing market share within the region.

A conclusion of the new tariffs would ensure that Kenya and other EAC member states remain shielded from cheaper imports from other markets like China and India.

The countries are expected to make submissions on the expected revisions by the end of June to pave way for a year-long harmonisation set to be concluded in June 2019.

“This review is important for the local industries to prosper because we still have more goods coming from China and India at the expense of our local manufacturers. We will also revise the rules of origin for smoother trade between member states,” Mr Munya said.