Uganda SME Association joins CBC-SMEs Workgroup

Dear Members of the COMESA Business Council SMEs Workgroup,

This is to inform you that Uganda Informal Sector Transformation Organisation has joined the CBC-SMEs Workgroup and their contacts are as follows:

COUNTRY: Uganda
Company: Uganda Informal Sector Transformation Organisation
Name: Asiimwe Ben J.R.
Position: National Chairman
Contact Address: P.O. Box 31750, Kampala
Email: basimwe@yahoo.com
Sector: Informal Sector
Product: See brochure attached - Activities

Kindly join me in welcoming Uganda Informal Sector Transformation Organisation

Kind regards

Richard N. Muteti

Chief Executive, Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations;
Chairman, COMESA Business Council SMEs Workgroup

P.O. Box 6101-00100 Nairobi Kenya

rnmuteti@yahoo.com,
Blogspot: comesa-smes.blogspot.com

1st COMESA MANUFACTURERS’ PARTNERSHIPS FAIR AND REGIONAL DIALOGUE,-24th July to the 2nd August, 2013 Rwanda

Linking Businesses To Markets;   Unlocking The Potential Of The Manufacturing Sector In The COMESA Region

“ It is time for Africa to harness the  opportunities’ that are nurtured in the region. This can only be done through opening market and trade linkages between, importers, exporters, traders and the larger manufacturers of our region. We should be our own preferred trading partners.” This was said by the COMESA Secretary General, Mr. Sindiso Ngwenya, during an interview on unlocking potential markets in the region through the upcoming 1^st COMESA Manufacturers’ Partnerships Fair and Regional Dialogue.

In response to unlocking the potential in the manufacturing sector , the COMESA Secretariat through the  COMESA Business Council (CBC), will hold the 1^st Regional Manufacturers’ Partnerships Fair and Regional Dialogue, 2013. The event will be held in Rwanda, on the sidelines of the 16^th Rwanda International Trade Fair, organized by the Rwanda Private Sector Federation(RPSF) from the 24^th July, 2013 to the 2^nd August, 2013. The CBC in partnership with ( RPSF), will launch this sectoral event for the first time in the Region. This event is in close collaboration and support with all the National Manufacturers Associations in the COMESA Region.

The event will provide a key trading platform for corporate buyers in the manufacturing sector, to establish partnerships with SMEs- with an agenda of expanding production and trade across the COMESA region. The focus of the fair is to create a buyer- seller platform, where corporate industries of the region, meet the diverse SME industries in the larger COMESA to strike deals that will promote the selling of their products , in African markets.

COMESA region is composed of over 440 million consumers, with an increased GDP of 518Billion US$ as of 2011. Intra COMESA trade has increased to 18.4 BN US$ as of 2011. The region is dominated by  Small and Medium Scale enterprises(SMEs) who constitute about 90% of the private sector of the member states in the COMESA region, just as is the case in many economies of the world.  Regional Integration has been seen as critical to fostering manufacturing development.  Building robust, competitive regional markets in COMESA and the larger Africa, unlocks manufacturing potential . How is this done?

“While we seek to promote regional value chains that link companies to integrate their productive capabilities and sell a high quality, competitively priced finished product to our regional consumers, we note that this cannot happen unless physical platforms to encourage such networks and discussions are established,”  Said the Secretary General, Ngwenya,  “Through the COMESA Business Council,  business in the manufacturing sector will be given a platform to trade, promote, explore opportunities through analyzing potential markets and trade flow and overall- increase intra-trade within the region.”

The CBC has invited Leading companies in the manufacturing industry from the 19 COMESA Member states,  across 19 sub-sectors in manufacturing ,  to a singular platform in a COMESA country, where they can explore opportunities of regional market expansion, partnerships and expanding distribution circuits and lines.

During the period of the Manufacturers’ Fair, a 2 day Manufacturers’ Dialogue will be held to discuss an advocacy approach on key constraints facing the sector and adopt common positions on the key issues addressed. The positions will then be advocated for by CBC at the Industry, Trade and Customs Policy organ meetings.

“ As representatives of the Private sector, we seek to capitalize on the existing frameworks provided by regional integration- to expand businesses across the region, and become our own producers of finished , standardized products.”  Said the Chairman of the CBC, Mr. Mathews Chikhankeni- President of the Malawi, Chambers of Commerce and Industry “ We should start looking inward to discover our own potentials in driving market forces for our own indigenous products. This can only be done by creating linkages between the larger manufacturing sector and the growing SMEs of the region.”

 The CBC Chairman further noted that the COMESA Manufacturers’ Partnerships Fair and Regional Dialogue would  create a trading platform for the corporate buyers of the manufacturing sector in the region, with the Industrial sellers in the vibrant COMESA markets and thus fulfilling the mandates of CBC to increase competitiveness within the region. 

The event which is hosted by CBC in partnership with the Rwanda Private Sector Federation- RPSF, will provide trade and market flow analysis for businesses looking for potential competitve markets of expansion in the region, business partnerships and linkages, business and product promotion and advocacy for the manufacturing sector who face barriers to business and trade in the region. 

For further information , please contact the COMESA Business Council Secretariat, or the National Manufacturers’ Association at the National level.

The 20th Conference of the African Union Ministers of Industry- 10th to 14th Nairobi, Kenya

the 20th Ordinary Session of the Conference of the African Union Ministers of Industry is taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from 10^th  to 14^th  June, 2013.

The Conference is organized under the theme "Accelerating Industrialization for Africa within the post-2015 Development Agenda".

The main purpose of this Conference is, among others, to provide a platform for refocusing Africa's industrialization process within the post-2015 Development Agenda.

CAMI-20 brings together African Ministers of Industry, African experts in industrial development and African industrialists, African Private Sector, Academia, UN agencies, NGOs and other relevant development partners to brainstorm on some of the key issues for Africa's industrial development within the Post-2015 Development Agenda. It will provide guidelines for policy orientation and coherence within Post-2015 Development Framework, with a focus on Africa's industrialization as a key factor for the development processes in the continent. It will highlight, for instance, technical and other support for the implementation of the Strategy for the Action Plan for Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA).

The following thematic areas will form the basis for debate during CAMI-20:

• Long-term financing for African industrialization;

• Capacity building, Research, Development, and Innovation for

Industrialization;

• Promotion of private sector entrepreneurship and SME development for

sustainable employment and economic empowerment of women and

youth;

• Promotion of green and renewable energy development and cleaner

production for industrialization and sustainable development.

to achieve sustainable growth, Africa must move from resource-based economies towards manufacturing-based economies through the industrial transformation of its natural resources. Furthermore, demographic transition and policies to create manufacturing and service jobs for the young generation will be needed to close the gap in growth and create the jobs needed to reduce poverty. Growth strategies for the future should give immediate priority to dealing with the unemployment and support productive activities that create full employment and decent work