- EABC and GIZ Reinforce Commitment to Regional and Continental Integration
Monday, 2nd September 2024, Arusha Tanzania: – Ms. Julia V. M. Kronberg, Head of Cooperation TZA/EAC, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, visited the East African Business Council Secretariat and held talks with Ag. Executive Director Mr. Adrian Njau on areas of partnership to strengthen the role of the private sector in driving the regional and continental integration process.
In his remarks, Mr. Njau stated that through the GIZ partnership under the Support to East Africa Integration Programme, and the project titled Enhancing Private Sector Participation in EAC & AfCFTA, EABC successfully rolled out the Training of Trainers on AfCFTA Trade in Goods. EAC successfully trained 19 business membership associations on AfCFTA’s Agreement & Protocol on Trade in Goods, who later supported AfCFTA training workshops at the national level. At the national level, 429 stakeholders across EAC Partner States from manufacturing, agriculture, SMEs, and other sectors were trained on AfCFTA Trade in Goods.
He further highlighted that GIZ has been instrumental in launching the EABC-SME Youth Women Entrepreneurs Platform, and workshops on SMEs’ readiness to export under AfCFTA trading arrangements are ongoing.
On her part, Ms. Julia V. M. Kronberg emphasized the role of the private sector in providing input on the negotiation process of protocols and agreements at EAC and Continental Levels. She stated the importance of championing the industrialization agenda for sustainable economic growth in EAC.
With support from GIZ, EABC developed Policy Briefs on EAC Tariff Offers for Category B & C Products under AfCFTA and presented them to the EAC Secretariat, aiding Partner States in reaching a consensus on the position of the EAC tariff offer to AfCFTA.
The EAC-EABC TWG has been central in championing regional private sector policy priorities. The new Secretary General has demonstrated a deep commitment to partnering with the private sector during the EABC CEOs-EAC Secretary General Roundtable, organized under the EAC-EABC TWG. The TWG also developed the EABC Policy Advocacy Priorities 2024/25, which were successfully presented to the EAC Secretary General.
Mr. Njau also mentioned that EABC is part of the steering committee for the GIZ dSkills@EA project and has participated in the co-creation of the Digital Skills, Research, and Innovation Alliance.
Mr. Max Middeke, Deputy Programme Manager, Support to East African Integration (SEAMPEC II), GIZ, stated that GIZ is committed to partnering with the private sector to support regional integration at EAC and AfCFTA levels, as the private sector is the key implementer of these agreements.
The EAC Secretariat is slated to chair the TFTA next year, and EABC is steadfast in championing private sector proposals to make the TFTA work. EABC is conducting capacity building on AfCFTA, focusing on the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative and Regional Value Chains, and supporting SMEs to export via AfCFTA through e-commerce tools under the EABC EU Technical Assistance Facility (EU-TAF) Project.
Other areas of collaboration and partnership discussed include:
- 2nd EABC Barometer on Trade in Services in EAC
- Research for Evidence-Based Advocacy
- Africa Trade Observatory
- Harmonization of private sector positions
- Enhancing comparative advantage and benefits for regional integration in DRC, South Sudan, and Somalia
- EAC Industrialization Strategy
- Monitoring statistics on trading under AfCFTA Agreements
- EABC-EAC Technical Working Group
- EABC CEOs – EAC Secretary General Breakfast Meetings at National Levels
- Holding Private Sector Pre-Heads of State Summit Engagement
- East Africa Business and Investment Summit 2025
- PPD on Tripartite co-organized by EABC-SADC-COMESA Business Councils
- AfCFTA Sensitization Workshops – Protocols on Digital Trade, Services, Women & Youth
- Sensitization of Private Sector on Implications of EAC Liberalisation of Trade Services under AfCFTA
- East Africa Business and Investment Summit 2025
