Category: Trading

The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) partook through its office in Germany in the IAA Mobility, considered as a festival dedicated to sustainable mobility, held on September 5-10 in Munich.

Discussions were held with German partners and companies to improve the partnership between the two countries’ automotive industries and attract new German investors, FIPA said.

Tunisia was represented by the Tunisian Automotive Association (TAA), Tunisia’s consulate in Munich and Tunisian startups and companies presenting innovative products.

This edition included an event on “Emerging Markets in Africa: A Continent on the Rise” with a special focus on Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt and Kenya, was organised by the Verband der Automobilindustrie in cooperation with the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), to boost the automotive cooperation with Africa.

“Tunisia’s geo-strategic position makes it the main gateway to the African continent and offers German companies a wide range of investment, trade and production opportunities,” reads a FIPA press release.

“Germany is already in the TOP 5 of the most investing countries in Tunisia with over 290 companies operating in high-added-value activities, such as electronics and automotive components,” FIPA pointed out.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

At least 24 economic operators linked to the agricultural sector benefitted from trucks on Thursday (7) for transportation of agricultural products from countryside to the city and vice versa.

The move is part of the second phase of the Integrated Rural Trade Development Programme (PIDCR), carried out by the Angolan Government.

Benefitted from the vehicles are entrepreneurs operating in the fourteen municipalities of the north-east Malanje province, who will encourage trade activity in the region, mainly in remote areas.

The provincial governor of Malanje Marcos Alexandre Nhunga handed over the vehicles and called for dedication to performing the economic activities.

Launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the project envisages the acquisition of 3,000 vehicles to be distributed in phases.

The provinces of Benguela, Bié, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Huambo, Malanje and Namibe are priorities in this programme.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

The vital driver of success for Africa’s green transition will be the availability of resources for investment.

Speaking Monday, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Amb. Josefa Sacko said the transition to a green Africa must be aided by strengthening the capacity of African countries to mobilise their own resources and build on the foundations of solid and inclusive economic growth.

Amb. Sacko, who made the remarks during the high-level opening of the ministerial session at the inaugural Climate Summit in Kenya, noted that as a continent, previous growth models have been predicated largely on the export of Africa’s raw materials with minimal value addition, and a continuation of this trajectory will undoubtedly reinforce Africa’s vulnerability.

She noted that the African continent remains a key player in charting the way towards a low-carbon future since, despite being the least contributor, Africa has been hit hardest by the climate crisis.

‘Our strength lies in our unity and in the fact that we are a continent that is vibrant, fast-growing, youthful, energetic, and diverse. Our solutions lie in large-scale investment in climate resilience, centred on energy access to drive sustainable industrialization’, she said, noting that this would be one of the fastest drivers for poverty reduction.

Amb. Sacko explained that there are policy frameworks already in place to support the implementation of climate action, which include the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan; the Continental Green Recovery Action Plan; and the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services), which guides the development and application of weather and climate services on the continent.

Through the summit, she emphasised the need to propel collective efforts on climate change and sustainable development forward by aiming to elevate the discourse surrounding climate change.

‘We need to rally support for a finance architecture that is specifically tailored for Africa while also bearing in mind the resilience and survival of our continent’s abundant resources as we accelerate our transition towards a climate-resilient future,’ she said.

The inaugural Africa Climate Summit, as the commissioner for agriculture noted, provides an opportunity for Africa to consolidate its united voice on matters of climate change and sustainable development and to mobilise support for the implementation of continental programmes and policies such as the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan, which covers all the items to be addressed by the Summit.

The Summit that is running this week is organised in parallel with the Africa Climate Week (ACW 2023), one of four Regional Climate Weeks planned this year to build momentum ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE, in December this year, conclude the first global stocktake, and chart the way for fulfilling the Paris Agreement’s key goals.

Source: Kenya News Agency

One hundred and twenty Tunisian enterprises participated in E-commerce and Digital Marketing – an event held as part of the Promotion of Export Activities to New Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (PEMA II) project.

The event was geared towards promoting exportation and boosting digital marketing through website upgrade.

The project fits within the Digital Transformation Programme which is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation – GIZ Tunisia, in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Export Development and the Export Promotion Centre (French: CEPEX).

Training sessions targeting these enterprises and focused on such themes as digital transformation, e-trade, digital communication and marketing, Digital communications planning, crisis communication and content creation have been running since 2022, CEPEX said.

PEMA II project offered support, in the second phase of E-commerce and Digital Marketing 2023, to participating businesses in the development and redesign of their websites. This was in collaboration with the Digital Transformation Programme.

A total of ten wesbites with different content (agriculture, textile, handicrafts, etc …) were built and launched to ease the access of enterprises to international markets, notably in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tailored support by junior consultants for participating enterprises was also made available under PEMA II, along with this training.

Recipient businesses will access support in community management as well as training in social media advertising space management.

Over the last years, sub-Saharan Africa has become the target market for Tunisian exports, considering the significant growth rate.

PEMA II intends to support in 2023 four consortia created in the first phase of the project (Tunisia Building Partner, Taste Tunisia, Tunisia Health Alliance and Get’IT) to help them implement their action plans and export their products and services to sub-Saharan Africa.

The project seeks, in partnership with the Trade and Export Development Ministry, to improve information channels and foster public-private dialogue to involve Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises in talks and in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunisia imported 12% of its power needs in 2022, reads a study on “Energy Policy in Tunisia and its Role in Development,” conducted by the Order of Tunisian Engineers (OIT).

Presented on Saturday during a debate on the energy sector in Tunisia, the results of this study further showed that the energy deficit continues to widen to over 60% of the trade deficit, given the sharp drop in production in 2022.

Actually, the 2022 national crude oil and natural gas production fell by 12% and 7%, respectively.

Consumption grew in 2022 with a 2% rise in primary energy demand, 5% in electricity and 0.8% in oil products.

However, natural gas demand was down by 4% compared to 2021, due to the considerable rise in electricity imports.

Launched 6 months ago, the study further revealed a poor contribtution of renewable energy in the current energy system.

Tunisia’s energy strategy should focus on boosting energy efficiency and on developing renewable energy sources by reducing energy demand by 30% up to 2030, in a bid to increase the contribution of renewable energy to power prodution by 30% up to 2023, reads the study.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Coast Development Authority (CDA) Board of Directors has stepped up efforts to complete income-generating projects to be self-sustaining.

The board wants to complete the modernization of Wananchi Resort and SPA located in Bofa, Kilfi County.

The conference facility with a capacity of 400 people is 100 percent complete, while the accommodation block of 43 rooms at 90 percent completion.

‘The facility is 98 percent complete, the conference section is functional, but the accommodation section is where we are supposed to finalize the furniture to start the business,’ said CDA Managing Director Dr. Mohamed Keinan.

The board also visited the Boji Integrated Fruit Processing Plant in Hola, Tana River County. The plant’s goal is to provide market linkage, create employment, and generate income for fruit farmers.

The integrated plant located on an expansive 100-acre land serves four counties including Tana River, Garissa, Lamu and Kilifi.

The Integrated Fruit-Processing plant has a honey-processing component that can refine and package semi-refined honey for local consumption. Currently, the plant can crush 1,200 tons of mangoes per year.

‘We are doing pulp mango production, we are also in the process of trying to install the pineapple line and because of the seasonality of these fruits sometimes we also run the water line,’ said Dr. Keinan.

He added that the primary purpose of the factory is value addition in line with the Kenya Kwanza Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

‘We are supposed to support and give adequate employment to the communities around and stop any post-harvest loss for the farmers,’ said Dr. Keinan.

CDA plans to establish a fruit seedlings nursery on the 100-acre land in line with the presidential directive on tree planting.

CDA Chairman Mzee Mwinyi Mzee said they are generating income from the two projects thus reducing pressure on the exchequer.

Mwinyi said the Integrated Fruit Plant has reduced post-harvest losses as farmers are selling their mango harvest for the production of pulp.

He said they will assist farmers to plant more mango trees in their farms for constant supply to the factory.

‘This factory is for local mwananchi to make income and improve their livelihood,’ the chairman said.

Source: Kenya News Agency