Friday, May 14th, 2024 – Nairobi, Kenya:- The East African Business Council (EABC), in collaboration with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO), and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), supported by GIZ EAC under their program SEAMPEC, conducted a training workshop on export readiness focusing on SPS and standards under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The workshop aimed to inform and educate SMEs, especially those in the agribusiness and manufacturing sectors, on exporting under AfCFTA, addressing regulatory concerns, and engaging various stakeholders, including government institutions and the private sector, to explore and leverage opportunities presented by AfCFTA.
In his opening remarks, Moses Kanyesigye, representing EABC, emphasized EABC’s commitment to building the capacity of SMEs in East Africa, making them export-ready and competitive across the continent. Representatives from KEPSA, ARSO, and the Kenya Bureau of Standards appreciated EABC for creating this crucial platform, recognizing that SMEs constitute the majority of African businesses and are vital to economic growth. Levy, a representative from KEPSA, underscored the importance of involving SMEs in export discussions and highlighted challenges they face, such as:
- Supply-side issues: Expensive and unreliable logistics, limited production capacity, narrow product range, compliance with international standards, and access to trade and finance information.
- Demand-side issues: Limited uptake of AfCFTA opportunities, market access challenges, and overreliance on traditional markets.
Key Recommendations:
- Forming an AfCFTA youth and women implementation committee
- Access to trade and export information and cascading it to relevant stakeholders
- Simplifying the AfCFTA protocol on women and youth in trade
