23rd EAC MSMEs Trade Fair
The Vice President of Burundi H.E Prosper Bazombanza officially opened the 23rd EAC MSMEs Trade Fair at the Cercle Hyppique Grounds in Bujumbura which brought together 1,000 enterprises from partner states, of which 300 were Kenyan.
In his remarks, the Vice President noted that the trade fair has been a vital platform in enhancing and revamping the socio-economic integration of the people of East Africa. Additionally, it provides a platform and opportunities for MSMEs to showcase their products, facilitate business to business engagement and information sharing on trade related matters.
The opening ceremony also doubled up as the launch of the EAC Non-Tarriff Barriers (NTBs) App developed by the EAC Secretariat in partnership with Trade Mark Africa. The NTBs App aims at easing the reporting, monitoring and elimination of NTBs in the Community. The App provides for different access levels for the traders and the NTB Focal Points in each Partner State. It allows the officer to see all the NTBs posted and more importantly, the reporter will be able to track the progress with regard to solving the NTB.
Kenya celebrated its country day with a showcase of its unique products, innovations, patriotic songs, fashion showcasing creative artifacts, apparel, designs and dances from all the cultures represented. The Vice President later visited the Kenya pavilion where he was received by MSEA Board Chairman Mr. James Mureu, MSEA CEO Mr. Henry Rithaa and got to interact with Kenyan exhibitors at the bazaar.
The CS Hon. Simon Chelugui from Ministry of Co-operatives and MSME Development as well as PS MSME Hon. Susan Mang'eni were also in attendance at the EAC MSMEs Trade Fair among other dignitaries.
The CS mentioned It was a great honour and pleasure to address the 23rd East African Community Trade Fair, popularly known as the Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition and that MSME sector plays a crucial role in the implementation of the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and the ministry is there to ensure that they have an enabling environment for them to thrive.
“This trade fair will not only avail a forum for showcasing what Kenya has to offer to the regional market but also play a leading role in facilitating trade and business exchanges among participating countries while at the same time offering an exciting platform for launching new and improved technologies targeting both the local and regional markets,” said Cabinet Secretary from Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development Simon Chelugui.
Delegates at the expo called on partner states to consider integrating language , currency, transport, infrastructure and mobile networks to better link regional growth and sustainable development. The push seeks to resonate with the East African Industrialization Strategy that targets to increase intra-regional manufacturing of exports, relative to total manufactured imports in the region to at least 25 per cent by 2032.
The PS on the other hand mentioned that the EAC MSMEs Trade Fair presented a platform for displaying our premium value addition capabilities on our traditional value chains; in line with our “One Culture, One Product” aspirations which presents unique and competitive prospects for the growth of the manufacturing sector especially at the MSMEs level, that the region is longing for.
From medicinal herbs to traditional foods, leather and textiles, handcrafts, metal works; as well as climate change action innovations, including bamboo products and wind power innovations; these creative displays demonstrate the region’s productivity and readiness to anchor industrialization in the creation of jobs for our youthful population. The impressive progress in our consolidated value chains points to the need to now widen the scope of the EAC Trade Fair to include a focus on industrial innovations and investments.