Exports Agency, KenTrade ink deal to boost cross-border trade
Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) that will enable the two institutions to collaborate and create synergies in driving various initiatives which are incidental to the seamless flow of cross border trade both across Kenya’s borders and within the region.
This will ensure more collaboration of export promotion initiatives and more trade for Kenya in the long run. The two Agencies will ride on each other’s programs to boost cross-border trade and promote Kenya exports.
Speaking during the signing ceremony held at KEPROBA offices, KEPROBA CEO Dr. Wilfred Marube said the agency from 2019 has been working on digitizing export procedures and transactions with the aim of making it easier for the buyer and seller to meet. Creating synergies with KenTrade, he said, will assist in realizing this since KenTrade has a history of connecting buyers and sellers.
He reiterated that the agency is seeking to address how they can facilitate normal Kenyan Traders to reach the global market and become exporters.
“This MOU will address this aspect through the envisioned exporters’ academy which will build the capacity of traders through product development and trade advisories for export ready traders. This will be made possible through the exchange of information between the two agencies,” he added.
KENTRADE CEO Amos Wangora said a priority to the agency is facilitating how fast exports can get to the global market which will give Kenya a competitive edge.
“This will be made possible through simplification of the export process which forms some of the provisions in the MOU,” he added.
The 3-year MOU will cover, among others, the following area of collaboration between the parties:
- Exchange of Information
- Capacity Building Programmes/Exporters Academy
- Trade, Product Development & Promotion
- Product Design, Development and Test Marketing in Target Export Markets
- Branding & Communication
- Documentation and Simplification of commodity procedures
- Any other areas of mutual interest identified from time to time
The collaboration is seen as a game changer in promoting the exports agenda since KenTrade is a trade facilitation institution mandated to manage and operationalize the Kenya National Electronic Single Window System and the facilitation of cross border trade in the Republic of Kenya. Its mandate therefore covers international trade transactions that involves interactions between customs, ports of entry operations, government sanctioned regulatory bodies/Partner Government Agencies and economic operators from the private sector.
KEPROBA’s core mandate on the other hand is to implement export promotion and nation branding initiatives and policies for the promotion of Kenya’s export of goods and services. KEPROBA thus seeks to ride on linkages and partnerships in fulfilling its mandate nationally, regionally and internationally.
The Agency is also in the process of rolling out an e-commerce platform for exporters that will connect buyers and sellers on the platform and boost Kenya exports.
