East African Business Council gets a new Executive Director

Andrew Luzze Kaggwa is the new EABC Executive Director During the 51st Executive Committee Meeting held in Arusha, the EABC Board of Directors bid farewell to Agatha Nderitu the former Executive Director of EABC and introduced the new Executive Director Mr. Andrew Luzze Kaggwa. Agatha handed over the leadership at the Council after serving for four and half years as a trail of praises flocked in for her excellent, exemplary, dedicated and inspiring leadership from the EABC board, staff, the business community, EABC partners and the EAC secretariat Andrew Luzze brings to EABC a wealth of technical and leadership experience acquired during his service as Policy Analyst at EABC working on EAC integration issues and the Tripartite process, as Policy Research and Advocacy Officer at Uganda Manufacturers Association and many other previous engagements he has been involved in. Andrew Luzze holds a Master’s Degree in Economic Policy and Planning and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Hons) in Economics all from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. In his acceptance speech, the incoming Executive Director outlined the key objectives that he and his team would be taking forward in line with the EABC five year strategic plan. Key amongst these will be continuing to strengthen the capacity of the secretariat, ensuring that EABC remains the driver of policy at regional level and within the tripartite process, working towards increasing EABC visibility and increasing value added services to members. He reiterated the need to wided EABC membership base to support the small and medium enterprises in order to make the voice of the private sector even in EAC even stronger. He looked forward to working closely with all EABC stakeholders including the EAC Partner States, EAC Secretariat, EAC Organs and Institutions, and relevant Ministries, departments, Civil Society Organizations, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and organizations representing the youths in the region among others.

BURUNDI TO HOST THE 13TH JUA KALI / NGUVU KAZI EXHIBITION

The EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition is an annual regional event organized by the Partner States of the East African Community (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) in collaboration with the apex bodies of the EAC regional MSE sector organizations This year's Exhibition is scheduled to be held from 2nd to 9th December 2012 at the Musee Vivant de Bujumbura in Bujumbura, Burundi. Over the years, the exhibition has become an important avenue for promotion of products, transfer of technology and enhancement of the social-economic integration of the people of East Africa. The theme for the 13th EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition is; ‘’Promoting Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi through innovation, competitiveness, investments and Private Public Partnerships’’ The number of exhibitors is expected to be seven hundred (700) distributed as follows; Burundi - 200 Kenya - 185 Tanzania - 185 Uganda - 70 Rwanda - 60 The MSE Exhibitors will be identified by the Country Umbrella MSE Associations in collaboration with the Country Organizing Committees Chaired by the Respective Ministry Responsible for Small Business Development in the respective EAC Partner States.