Summary of the Assignment:
Nature of assignment Short term
Location Will vary depending on the respondents
Timeframe 21 Working days
Reporting To Executive Director/CEO
I. ABOUT EAST AFRICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL
The East African Business Council (EABC) is the umbrella body of the Private Sector in
the East African Community (EAC). It brings together national private sector umbrella
bodies, manufacturers, employers, bankers, insurance and transporters associations,
chambers of commerce, corporates, and medium and small enterprises from the entire
East African region.
EABC’s mandate is to represent and promote the interests of the EAC business
community, provide value-added services that enhance trade and competitiveness, and
to participate actively and positively influence legal and regulatory formulation to improve
the business environment. EABC works with the major stakeholders such as the EAC
Secretariat, Organs, Institutions and National Governments and provides input in policy
discussion while advocating for the implementation of resolutions at the national level
aimed at increasing intra-regional trade.
II. BACKGROUND TO THE GIZ PROGRAM ON SUPPORT TO EAST AFRICAN
MARKET DRIVEN AND PEOPLE CENTERED INTEGRATION
EABC is the regional apex body for the private sector in the EAC, comprising Burundi,
Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan. EABC’s mission is to support the
private sector to become competitive in the region and internationally. In order to achieve
competitiveness, EABC provides the regional platform. With its observer status at the
EAC, it offers authentic lobbying at the policy level. EABC aims at creating a constituency
for change leading to sustainable bottom-up policy reforms.
To strengthen the role of EABC in advocating for a stronger private sector in the EAC
regional integration agenda, EABC entered a partnership with GIZ-EAC under the GIZ
Program on ‘Support to East African Market Driven and People-Centered Integration’
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which works closely with the EAC Secretariat, Partner States and private sector
representatives to roll out various activities aimed at increasing competitiveness of
business operators (members) in the region as well as organizing events aimed at
collecting issues that need regional advocacy. In line with the objectives of the projects,
EABC with support from GIZ-EAC is would like to hire a consultant to develop a paper to
inform common/harmonized private sector position in the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) and how the private sector in the EAC can position themselves to tap into
opportunities from the Continental Free Trade Area.
III. CONTEXT
Trade is a powerful engine for economic growth and development. However, African’s role
in the global trade market has fundamentally been providing raw commodities in exchange
for manufactured goods, thereby capturing a minimal 3% of the global share of trade.
In addition, intra-Africa trade is relatively low at levels of not more than 15% and this can
change if Africa effectively addresses supply-side constraints and weak productive
capacities, infrastructural bottlenecks, trade information networks, access to finance for
businesses, facilitation of trade in services and free movement of people for cross border
trade.
Globally, countries are concluding Mega-Regional Trade Agreements (MRTAs), thus
reshaping and changing the global trading landscape in the process. The establishment
of the AfCFTA will allow Africa to strengthen its position vis-à-vis the rest of the world,
speak with one voice and act in unison on all continental and international trade issues.
The AfCFTA will create a wider market of more than 1.2 billion people with a combined
GDP of $2.19 trillion. This will induce investments; result in pooling of African resources
to enhance structural transformation and the development of regional value chains.
IV. RATIONALE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
It is expected that the AfCFTA will,
• Enhance competitiveness at all levels and more specifically at the industry and
enterprise level through exploiting opportunities for scale economies, reducing
business costs, continental/global market access and better reallocation of
resources including through the development of trade-related infrastructure;
• Overcome dependence on the exportation of primary products and promote social
and economic transformation for inclusive growth, industrialization and
sustainable development in line with Agenda 2063;
• Resolve the challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships and expedite
the regional and continental integration processes;
• Enhance competitiveness at all levels and more specifically at the industry and
enterprise level through exploiting opportunities for scale economies, reducing
business costs, continental/global market access and better reallocation of
resources including through the development of trade-related infrastructure;
• Overcome dependence on the exportation of primary products and promote social
and economic transformation for inclusive growth, industrialization and
sustainable development in line with Agenda 2063;
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• Resolve the challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships and expedite
the regional and continental integration processes;
The East African Business Council (EABC) is concerned with the readiness of the regional
private sector in tapping into the benefits expected to be presented by the AfCFTA. In this
regard, there is a need to hire a consultant to develop a paper to inform the
common/harmonized private sector position in the African Continental Free Trade Area as
a guiding tool for negotiations to take into consideration the interests of the regional private
sector.
V. SCOPE OF THE WORK
The consultant (s) duties are:
• Report on the progress on the status of negotiations and ratification process of the
AfCFTA,
• Through a survey, develop a harmonized private sector position paper on the
benefits of the AfCFTA to the private sector,
• Develop mechanisms for the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and its
Annexes in light of the private sector,
• Assess the alignment of the implementation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area in
tandem with the AfCFTA,
• Analyze the need for the establishment of an African Business Council as an
advisory continental platform for aggregating and articulating the views of the
private sector in the continental policy formulation processes.
VI. EXPECTED OUTPUTS:
Clearly defined harmonized private sector position paper on the benefits of the
AfCFTA to the private sector,
Progress on the status of negotiations and ratification process of the AfCFTA,
Clearly detailed document on the mechanisms for the implementation of the
AfCFTA Agreement and its Annexes in light of the private sector,
Comprehensive spelled out report on the alignment of the implementation of
Tripartite Free Trade Area in tandem with the AfCFTA,
Recommendations on the relevance for the establishment of an African Business
Council.
VII. DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME
The key deliverables include:
- Inception report which among other things will contain the detailed work plan for
carrying out the scope of work, proposed methodology and research design survey
instruments. - Draft Report which includes preliminary findings on what the private sector should
do to take advantage of the AfCFTA and how policymakers should align the
agreement to take into consideration the interests of the private sector, - Final Report that includes the final findings from the assignment after feedback
from the EABC Secretariat & other key stakeholders. - Organize a validation meeting to the EABC Secretariat.
4 - Position Paper to inform common/harmonized private sector position in the African
Continental Free Trade Area
VIII. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
A suitable candidate should hold the following qualifications and key competencies:
a) Academic Qualification and Professional Experience: A Master’s degree or
postgraduate qualification in any of the following fields: Economics, Business
Analytics, International Trade, or any other relevant field is required.
b) Work Experience: A minimum of ten (10) years’ demonstrated experience in
advocacy & research for regional trade-related issues. Knowledge of EAC
integration and International Trade & is a must.
c) Proven track-record in related assignments.
d) Languages: Fluency in oral and written English is required as it is the main EAC
working language. Good working knowledge of French and Kiswahili will be an
advantage.
e) Additional Skills: Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint,
and Excel), Email, analytical tools for data analysis, experience in working with
online databases, and data retrieval) are required.
f) Nationality: The position is only open to Nationals of any of the EAC Partner
States, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan.
IX. THE APPLICATION PROCESS
All proposals should be addressed to;
The Executive Director / CEO
East African Business Council (EABC)
Ninth Floor, Mafao House, Old Moshi
Road P. O. Box 2617 Arusha, Tanzania.
Email: director@eabc-online.com with a copy to procurement@eabc-online.com
clearly marked “CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A PAPER TO INFORM
COMMON/HARMONIZED PRIVATE SECTOR POSITION IN THE AFRICAN
CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA”. The proposal should include current curriculum
vitae, proposed methodology, work plan and a separate financial proposal. Applications
close on 6
th August 2020 at (5.00 p.m.).
EABC is an equal opportunity employer thus recruitment is on merit and with no regard to
one’s age, colour, gender, marital status, disability or impairment, race or creed.
Canvassing shall lead to automatic disqualification.
Environmental aspects will be taken into consideration.