Subscribe by rss
    Saturday 16 January, 2021
    Rwanda News
      • Home
      • National
      • Politics
      • Regional
      • Magazines
      • OP&ED
    Published On: Fri, Jul 26th, 2013
    Block3--ibikorwa-regional / English / featured1 | By gahiji

    EAC domestic industrial sector needs a new lease of life – Sezibera

    EAC domestic industrial sector needs a new lease of life – Sezibera

    The EAC Secretary General Ambassador  Richard Sezibera has said that the EAC Manufacturing sector to prosper, there is need for all the stakeholders – including governments and private sector players to work on ways of giving the domestic industrial sector a new lease of life.

    Sezibera said this during the EAC Secretary General’s Manufacturers’ Forum was held in Kampala on Monday.

    The East African Business Council in partnership with Trade Mark East Africa and EAC Secretariat hosted the Forum that was attended by Members of the East African Business Council, Members of Uganda Manufacturing Association, and the Media.

    “There is need to popularize the local products not only externally but internally as well especially now as we operationalize the East African Common Market. We need to see more campaigns towards making Ugandan products popular and more competitive in the region,” he said.

    The Secretary General called upon the local manufacturers in the region to take advantage of the several opportunities popping up as the region integrates deeper especially in the areas of pharmaceuticals, beverages, vehicle parts production as well as vehicle assembly among others.

    Representing Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA), Sikander Lalani the Chair and Managing Director of Roofings Group, commended the East African Business Council and the EAC Secretariat for taking the lead in pushing the interests of the business community in the EAC integration.

    The Executive Director of the East African Business Council (EABC), Mr. Andrew Luzze urged the Ministries, Government Agencies as well as the relevant Institutions to implement actions agreed upon by the Forum. He urged the private sector to open up as the region moves deeper into the integration process.

    At the Forum, Uganda Manufacturers’ Association presented some of the key policy issues affecting its members requiring urgent redress at regional level. These include the Tax Remission for Exports Office (TREO).

    The Manufacturers claim the Government of Kenya through the Tax Remission for Exports Office encourages local manufacturers to export their products. This is achieved by remitting duty and VAT on raw materials used in the manufacture of goods for export.

    The Association asserts that Exports under the TREO scheme shouldn’t be within the EAC but outside the EAC since the region is now under the EAC Common Market and Customs Union.

    The impact of the remission on duties and VAT makes Kenyan manufacturers have a high competitive edge as compared to those within the other EAC states.

    Another issue is the Railway Development Levy of 1.5 percent for all imports through Kenya introduced by the Government in the 2013/14 National budget for the development of the Kenyan railway network but is being paid by all States and importers using the Mombasa Port or transiting through Kenya.

    UMA says that this was unfair, as the rail development won’t be implemented in all EAC Partner States and other users like South Sudan and Eastern DR Congo who are all paying the levy.

    A case was raised on Multiple Weighbridges in Kenya. Till now, these were delaying the transit transport times when plying through Kenya as well as failing to comply with the EAC agreed position of the use of Gross weight as against Axle weight.

    A lot of time is spent on the delays at weighbridges, which haven’t solved the problem due to the continued corruption at the bridges.

    The next EAC Secretary General’s Manufacturers’ Forum is scheduled to be held in Nairobi, Kenya on August 26, 2013 and in Kigali, on September 6, 2013.

    Related News
    Tweet

    Rwanda Seeks Russian Help to Stop UN Freeing Key Genocide Convicts

    Africa Innovation Summit Kicks Off in Rwanda

    Disruptive Technology Takes Centre Stage at African Innovation Summit in Rwanda

    Kagame in Belgium, Scheduled Talks with King and PM

    Leave a comment

    Click here to cancel reply.

    XHTML: You can use these html tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

    Join us in Facebook

    Popular Posts

    • Tribert Rujugiro: The Story of the Rwandan Billionaire
    • Rwanda Seeks Russian Help to Stop UN Freeing Key Genocide Convicts
    • Unknown son of Gen Fred GISA Rwigema reappears after 24 years
    • Rwanda Bypasses Uganda for its own Standard Gauge Railway Line
    • Israel Joins Rwanda to Demand France Acts on Genocide Suspects

    Recent News

    • Rwanda Seeks Russian Help to Stop UN Freeing Key Genocide Convicts
    • Africa Innovation Summit Kicks Off in Rwanda
    • Disruptive Technology Takes Centre Stage at African Innovation Summit in Rwanda
    • Kagame in Belgium, Scheduled Talks with King and PM
    • How Rwandan Banks can Benefit from Latest Technologies
    • Rwanda: Food Delivery App Cuts Prices, Meal Arrival Time
    • Rwanda Starts Phasing Out Dangerous Refrigerators

    Subscribe via email

    Enter your email address:

    Tweet
    Rwanda News
      • Home
      • About us
      • Contact Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • RSS by category
      • Irembo
      • Abanyapolitiki
        • Ibibazo n’ibisubizo
        • Ibikorwa
        • Imitwe ya politiki
        • Rwanda Politics
        • Ubuvugizi
    All Rights Reserved | NewsOfRwanda.com
      • Home
      • National
      • Politics
      • Regional
      • Magazines
      • OP&ED