ampala — UGANDA is to start exporting sugar and rice to the European Union (EU) duty and quota-free, the state trade minister has said.
"The East African Community-European Union (EAC-EU) market access offers a framework on all products apart from sugar and rice 100% duty and quota-free to the EU countries. By 2010, sugar and rice will also face the same arrangement," Nelson Gaggawala said.
"This will, however, come after we have signed the Economic Partnership Agreement between the East African Community and the EU scheduled for October this year," he said at the opening of the international trade facilitation expo at the Uganda Manufacturers Association exhibition hall at Lugogo, Kampala.
The expo, organised by the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU), was aimed at providing information on services offered by foreign missions in the country and various government departments to the importers and exporters.
It was attended by trade officers and envoys from the South African High Commission, US Embassy, Sudanese embassy, Kenya High Commission, the EU, UK, China and Kenya Ports Authority.
"The Government is planning this with an objective of negotiating for more markets for our exporters. Take advantage of this opportunity," the minister advised.
He also advised the importers and exporters to exploit the new system introduced by members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) of promoting and improving trade called Payment and
"With this system, businesspeople within the region can pay for imports through their local banks in Uganda using letters of credit," he explained.
"This will eliminate the practice of carrying huge amounts of money thus avoiding the risks and costs associated, making trade easier and cheap," Gaggawala said.
He said with the rapid expansion of globalisation and deepening regional integration, Uganda had to export more if the Prosperity For All vision is to be realised.
The PSFU executive director, Gabriel Hatega, said trade facilitation was one of the major ways of reducing costs of doing business, which had been an outcry by manufacturers, importers and exporters over the last years.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906260003.html
"The East African Community-European Union (EAC-EU) market access offers a framework on all products apart from sugar and rice 100% duty and quota-free to the EU countries. By 2010, sugar and rice will also face the same arrangement," Nelson Gaggawala said.
"This will, however, come after we have signed the Economic Partnership Agreement between the East African Community and the EU scheduled for October this year," he said at the opening of the international trade facilitation expo at the Uganda Manufacturers Association exhibition hall at Lugogo, Kampala.
The expo, organised by the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU), was aimed at providing information on services offered by foreign missions in the country and various government departments to the importers and exporters.
It was attended by trade officers and envoys from the South African High Commission, US Embassy, Sudanese embassy, Kenya High Commission, the EU, UK, China and Kenya Ports Authority.
"The Government is planning this with an objective of negotiating for more markets for our exporters. Take advantage of this opportunity," the minister advised.
He also advised the importers and exporters to exploit the new system introduced by members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) of promoting and improving trade called Payment and
"With this system, businesspeople within the region can pay for imports through their local banks in Uganda using letters of credit," he explained.
"This will eliminate the practice of carrying huge amounts of money thus avoiding the risks and costs associated, making trade easier and cheap," Gaggawala said.
He said with the rapid expansion of globalisation and deepening regional integration, Uganda had to export more if the Prosperity For All vision is to be realised.
The PSFU executive director, Gabriel Hatega, said trade facilitation was one of the major ways of reducing costs of doing business, which had been an outcry by manufacturers, importers and exporters over the last years.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906260003.html
