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Kenya urges EAC to promote indigenous entrepreneurship

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday called on East Africa Community (EAC) to promote indigenous entrepreneurships in a bid to reduce dumping of cheap products in the East Africa region.

Speaking in Nairobi during a meeting with officials of the East Africa Confederation of Informal Sector Organisation (EA-CISO) in Nairobi, Kenyatta said local products will convert the EAC region from a consumer of imports to producer of locally available products.

The president said it is not acceptable for the region to continue exporting raw materials only to import the same as finished products at higher prices.

"The government recognized the role of the informal sector in youth employment and is supporting artisans through soft loans to make quality products that meet global standards to remain competitive in the market," Kenyatta said in a statement issued after the meeting.

CISO is the apex EA regional body representing the informal economic sector and draws representation from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.

"The programmes in place include 30 percent of all government tenders to empower youth, women and the disabled to manufacture quality products and create employment," he added.

He said his government has also put in place programmes to empower youth and other vulnerable groups to raise their standards of living.

The Kenyan leader lauded the EA-CISO for bringing together artisans and other micro-small and medium enterprises operators, saying the move promoted EA integration.

He observed that the informal sector is a source of livelihood to a large population and utilizes raw materials available in the region, assuring CISO of his support in the formulation of a standard training and certification for artisans at the regional level which, he said, would boost the recognition of their products in the market.

CISO representatives, in a memorandum, recommended the establishment of one-stop shops where residents in member countries can showcase and sell their products.

"Ordinary citizens are already trading in one-stop shops especially at Malaba, Namanga among other border points and ours is to just formalize," he said.

CISO representatives also recommended establishment of MSEs in all EAC member states, similar to the MSE Authority of Kenya which is already in place, to provide trade linkages.

They also rooted for introduction of a policy to promote the informal sector by ensuring that each partner state promotes "Buy East Africa" to "Build East Africa" by procuring 40 percent of goods and service from the MSEs. Endi