The East Africa Community Director General of Customs and Trade Directorate Peter Kiguta has disclosed that the region is registering increased intra-regional trade, which has grown in more than four folds from US$1.6bn in 2004 to more than US$6bn in 2014.
Addressing over 1000 exhibitors at the beginning of the 16th edition of the annual EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition Mr Kiguta said that the Jua Kali sector is expected to play a big role in regional integration as well as economic development process.
The theme for this year’s exhibition was ‘Buy Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Products, Build East Africa’, and according to Mr Kiguta the EAC has made substantial inroads in the regional integration process with the implementation of the Single Customs Territory (SCT), which has recorded reduction in the times taken to clear goods at the ports of entry as well as movement of cargo within the region.
He also congratulated the people of Tanzania for peacefully holding general elections and smooth handover of power.
“Tanzania continues to be a beacon of political stability in East Africa and Africa in general and I appeal to other countries in Africa to emulate the example set out by the United Republic of Tanzania” asserted the EAC official.
Meanwhile, the week-long exhibition at the Mnazi Mmoja Grounds in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was officially opened on Wednesday, December 2 by the Regional Commissioner for Dar es Salaam, Mr Said Meck Sadiki, who represented President John Pombe Magufuli.
In his speech, President Magufuli commended the Partner States, the EAC Secretariat, the East Africa Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations (EA-CISO) and Partners for the well-organized exhibition and for promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region.
President Magufuli urged Partner States to invest in human capital and called upon the artisans and the exhibitors to be more competitive, creative, and innovative so as to take advantage of the conducive environment prevailing in the region.
Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Cooperation Ms Joyce Mapunjo welcomed the exhibitors to Tanzania and noted that the annual exhibition was giving the sector the required recognition and the artisans were not afraid of the integration process
She said the regional integration is meant for the ordinary people and they should be able to feel and enjoy its benefits and the Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi exhibitions provide the perfect forum for integrating the ordinary citizens of the Community.
The Chairman of the East Africa Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations (EA-CISO), Mr Josephat Rweyemamu informed the guests that the regional forum facilitates showcasing products by exposing the exhibitors to emerging technologies while at the same offering them an expanded market for their products.
He said this in turn leads to strengthening of the spirit of East African Community through increased employment opportunities and wealth creation hence contributing to poverty reduction.
Kenya’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ambassador Chirau Ali Mwakwere was delighted that the quality of products had improved tremendously and said they can compete effectively with similar products from any part of the world.
Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Dorothy Samali Hyuha asserted that the Medium and Small Enterprise sector plays a major role in Uganda’s economy in employment creation in both rural and urban areas.
The Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi exhibition was organized by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Partner States and the Confederation of Informal Sector Organization East Africa (CISO-EA).
