John Hursh | AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | On 6 October, the US government announced that it would revoke the majority of economic sanctions imposed on Sudan. Many of them had been in place for two decades. Numerous governments, organisations, and commentators welcomed the decision. Sudan expert Alex de Waalcalled the move “long overdue”, while UN Special Rapporteur Idriss …
Read More »Qatar emir, seeking new markets, starts West Africa tour
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Qatar’s emir landed in Senegal on Wednesday at the start of a six-nation tour of West Africa as Doha seeks out new markets after Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries cut ties with the wealthy emirate. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s is expected to visit …
Read More »THIS WEEK: Truck drivers decry new road regulations, penalties set
THIS WEEK: Truck drivers decry new road regulations, penalties set Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a bid to protect roads, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) recently released new rules on road use that take effect next month. The new regulations state that errant users face fines and imprisonment …
Read More »Battles loom in UK over competing Brexit demands
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain could remain closely aligned with the rules of the European Union’s single market under its initial withdrawal deal with Brussels, a move that has critics worried about heading towards a soft Brexit. The deal reached Friday after nearly six months of negotiations detailed …
Read More »Uganda and Russia prepare for 2018 trade meeting
Moscow, Russia | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda and Russia have started preparations for the upcoming 2nd Inter-governmental Commission aimed at improving trade and strenghthening relations between the two countries. The 2nd Uganda-Russia Intergovernmental Commission is scheduled to take place in May 2018. The Ugandan delegation to the meeting will comprise both …
Read More »Brexit without EU trade deal ‘not end of world’: WTO chief
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Sunday it would not be “the end of the world” if Britain failed to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, but there would be costs. Roberto Azevedo told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that …
Read More »One-Stop Border Posts ease trade in the region
TradeMark East Africa invests US$117 bn in customs facilities Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Doing business in East Africa has improved in the recent years with the operationalization of the One Stop Border Points (OSBP). TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), through funding from UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Global …
Read More »Kutesa meets US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Uganda’s Kutesa hails US decision to prioritize trade with Africa Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa has called on US business operators to do business with Uganda as the physical and policy environment is one of the best in Africa. He made these …
Read More »Fair trade in coffee
How coffee marketing arrangement is putting more money in farmers pockets, improving quality Kampala, Uganda | ANDREW S. KAGWA | 80-year old widow Anna Kyamulabi grows coffee on her half acre farm in Bulwanyi village, near Kyengera in Wakiso District. She is a Fairtrade producer, although it unclear if she knows …
Read More »Sudan-based airline TARCO to fly to Entebbe
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | Improved bilateral relations plus the recent lifting of tough economic and trade sanctions on Sudan look set to improve Uganda-Sudan trade. The coffee and airlines businesses are already reaping, if talks between visiting Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir and host President Yoweri Museveni are …
Read More »
The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price