Thursday, 7th November 2024, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — The East African Business Council (EABC), in collaboration with the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) and the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), with support from GIZ EAC through the SEAMPEC program, has empowered 40 SMEs and youth entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge on the AfCFTA Trade in Goods Protocol, focusing on the TBT and SPS annexes.
The training workshop was officiated by Mr. Lazaro Henery Msasalaga, Director of Quality Management at TBS, on behalf of the Director General of TBS, and Ms. Mercy Sila, President of the Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill Ambassador for EABC, who also represented TPSF.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Lazaro expressed his gratitude to the EABC Secretariat for organizing this timely workshop, which addresses compliance challenges that affect SMEs and slow down intra-EAC trade.
Mr. Lazaro further indicated that the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) is committed to ensuring appropriate infrastructure is in place for implementing Annexes 6 and 7 of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods.
In her remarks, Ms. Mercy Sila committed to continuing collaboration with the EABC, SMEs, youth entrepreneurs, and associations in Tanzania to ensure adherence to necessary requirements to increase cross-border trade. She encouraged the youth to seize the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA market through collaboration and coordination.
Moses Kanyesigye, EABC’s Regional Coordinator, representing the CEO, advised the trainees to expand their focus beyond the EAC market to the continental level. He urged SMEs and youth to harness the power of numbers by collaborating and forming partnerships with peers across the continent. Moses encouraged SMEs to leverage EABC’s e-commerce and SME platform to upload and market their products effectively.
