Daniel Mugulusi said it is now easier to do trade among regional countries since Ugandans only require a national identity card to be able to access markets in neighbouring countries.

 

“Our neighbours have taken advantage of the East African integration and have set up businesses here. You too can do the same. For instance it is now easier to sell maize in Kenya than it was a decade ago,” Mugulusi said at an EAC awareness campaign dubbed Karibu East Africa.

 

The campaign is spearheaded by the Ministry of East African Community Affairs (MEACA) with the support from Trademark East Africa.

 

In a report released by Bank of Uganda and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics following a survey commissioned in 2012 on informal cross border trade, Uganda’s formal export earnings to EAC countries increased by 9.2 per cent to US$2,356 from US$2,159.1 in 2011, while informal exports amounted to US$ 453.7 million, representing a 27.5 percent increase compared to 2011when it amounted to 355.8 million. 

 

According to the report, the highest growth of informal exports was to Tanzania which grew by 64.5 per cent, followed by exports to South Sudan which grew by 37.4 per cent. Rwanda and Kenya registered the least growth of 8.6 per cent increase and 15.1 per cent respectively.

 

Uganda imports most informal goods from Kenya which amounted to US$24.5 million, accounting for a 46.3 per cent market share of the total followed by Democratic Republic Congo with informal imports worth US$20.3 million.

 

The Gulu Resident District Commissioner, Andrew Awany, also called on Gulu residents to explore opportunities within the EAC.

 

“Uganda is a landlocked country and we have suffered in the past due to various trade barriers which has negatively affected our ability to export goods. However, the EAC integration will enable us cut on the cost of doing business as barriers to trade are reduced,” Mr Awany said, adding that “The EAC is now moving towards a single currency and this will further ease cross border trade and further increase foreign earnings.” 

Source : EAST AFRICA BUSINESS.com