1. The 1st
Manufacturing Business Summit was held in Kampala Uganda at Speke
Resort, Munyonyo on 1-2 September 2015. The Business summit was
officially opened by Rt. Hon, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda,
and the Prime Minister of the Republic Uganda.
2. The Summit was
attended by H.E Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD Secretary General, Amb.
Richard Sezibera, EAC Secretary General, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, the
Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon.
Adan Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Enterprise
Development, Kenya,Hon. Tabu Abdallah MANIRAKIZA, Minister for Finance
Republic of Burundi, Hon. Adam Kighoma Ali MALIMA Assistant Minister for
Finance, United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Joseph
Mungarulire, representing the Minister for Trade and Industry, Republic
of Rwanda, Mr. Denis Karera, EABC Chiarman, Amos Nzeyi, UMA Chairman .
The Summit was also attended by Representatives from development
partners and regional economic communities (RECs)
including: UNIDO, AfDB, CBC, UNECA, AMDC, World Bank, TMEA, GIZ, PTB,
COMESA, and SADC.
3. The 1st
Manufacturing Business Summit was jointly organized by East Africa
Community Secretariat and East Africa Businesses Council and hosted by
the Government of Uganda. The forum ushered
in a new dawn in the history of manufacturing in East Africa region as
it brought together for the first time all shareholders in manufacturing
under one roof to discuss the question of manufacturing and its role in
deepening the integration.
4. The forum made the following resolutions on this date of 2nd September 2015:
I. To effectively utilize the available resources within the region for structural transformation of the manufacturing sector in key value chains, a regional special purpose vehicle (SPVs) that facilitate joint investment in capital intensive and flagship projects should be established (lessons can be drawn from Maputo Development Corridor, or Air-bus Project in EU). The framework should outline each countries comparative and competitive strengthen in resources and inputs, and how EAC countries can collaborate and develop such strategic industries to avoid harmful competition and trade frictions.
II. Public and private procurement is key to creating necessary demand for locally manufactured products as well as promoting technology based business start-ups. To this end, the government of East Africa Partner States and the private sector are called upon to prioritize in their procurement, the sourcing of locally manufactured products including in agro-food, furniture, motor-vehicles, parts, apparels and footwear. The EAC Secretariat in collaboration with EABC should prepare a regional promotional strategy for the implementation of Buy-East Africa-Build- East Africa scheme (BEABEA).
III. For the purposes of resolution No. 2, the EAC should formulate a regional Local Content policy which clearly defines 'local' on a regional context to ensure that preferential treatments accorded to nationals are extended to all suppliers within in East Africa region.
IV. The EAC to formulate a regional policy for motor vehicles , textiles & apparels, leather & footwear to create a coherent policy regime for the development of these sectors which are crucial for employment creation, poverty reduction and advancement in technological capability.
V. Acquiring appropriate skills suited to the needs of industry remains a major challenge contributing to youth unemployment. EAC in collaboration with EABC to a formulate a regional skill development and partnership programme targeting mainstreaming of apprenticeship, internship and graduate on-job training in school, TVET and university curriculum.
VI. Energy (power) is a vital input into manufacturing constituting between 20-50 percent of the cost of production. The East Africa Partner States are called upon to take measures to reduce the cost of power to through: reforms in the energy/power sector to reduce power lose, permitting industries to generate their own power and supply excess to the national greed, and introducing energy efficiency and conservation measures in industries. To this end, EAC and EABC should organize a regional conference on "Competitive Energy Supply for sustainable Growth of Manufacturing in East Africa" to facilitate a consultative dialogue with all relevant stakeholders on measures to be adopted to enhance energy access and reduce power tariff for the manufacturing sector..
VII. The emerging industrializing countries such as BRICS present EAC with immense opportunities for trade and industrial cooperation. The EAC should formulate a regional strategy for engagement with China and BRICS with a view to leveraging and attracting Chinese investors, and positioning the region as ideal location for investors which have been re-location from China due to rising labour costs..
VIII. The EAC to enact a Community Law on ant-counterfeits and illicit trade and put in place an effective enforcement mechanism in order to deter imports, production, sales, and distribution of counterfeit and illicit goods in East Africa market.
IX. The 2nd Manufacturing Business Summit to be held in September 2017, in Nairobi, Kenya at a date to be communicated. The EAC and EABC calls upon development partners and EAC Partner States to support convening of the 2nd manufacturing Summit
ADOPTED THIS DAY OF 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015, AT SPEKE RESORT, MUNYONYO, KAMPALA UGNDA
Hakuna maoni :
Chapisha Maoni