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.