EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) website launched
EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1st October, 2019: The web site of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme was officially launched at a festive event during the EAC High Level Trade Integration Conference held from 25th to 27th September, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community and Regional Development, Kenya, Dr. Margret Mwakima, and Amb Jean Rigi, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of EAC Affairs, Burundi jointly launched the EAC MARKUP website.
Speaking at the event, Mr Kenneth Bagamuhunda, the EAC Director General for Customs and Trade, underscored the importance of supporting regional value chains in the agriculture sector and improving product quality and competitiveness.
Dr Kirsten Focken, the Programme Manager at GIZ, the German Technical Cooperation Agency, said that the website was important for purposes of visibility, sharing experiences and showcasing interventions, results and impact.
Mr Jocelin Cornet, Team Leader, Regional Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Tanzania hailed all players for the achievements recorded so and thanked the EAC Secretariat for steering and guiding the implementation of the project.
“EU EAC MARKUP is part of the EU’s efforts towards integration in Africa and this new website is of great importance for the exchange of information and coordination of MARKUP, said Mr. Cornet.
Note to Editors:
Jointly designed by the European Union (EU), the EAC Secretariat and the governments of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya, the initiative is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and other national partners. This four-year programme is funded from the Regional Indicative Programme for EAC under the 11th European Development Fund.
EU-EAC MARKUP aims at eliminating trade barriers for East African small and medium companies and expanding their markets for coffee, tea, cocoa, selected spices and horticultural products in East Africa as well as in European markets. This will be achieved through supporting the private sector, business support institutions and policy makers in the Partner States and at the EAC Secretariat.
EU-EAC MARKUP was inaugurated on 20th of June 2018 in a signing ceremony at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha. It is now on the ground in the five Partner States of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, strengthening SMEs and sector associations, supporting harmonisation of standards and SPS measures, and equipping trade support institutions to deliver better quality services.
More information is available at: www.eacmarkup.org
Justine Wangila
M&E and Communications Expert
EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP)
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
East African Community Secretariat
Room 613, 6th Floor Ngorongoro Wing, AICC Building
P.O Box 13854
ARUSHA, TANZANIA
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel (O): +255 272 050 243
Tel:(M) +255 744 869 200
Skype: justin.wangila
Tags: MARKUP