WCA speaks at the Plenary at the East Africa Community's Market Access Upgrade Programme in Mombasa (Kenya).
Mombasa, February 11th, 2020 WCA (Working Capital Associates) LLP's Head of Structuring and Operations, Andrew Darling, today was speaking at the Plenary session "Scaling up Access to Finance for EAC coffee exporters", at the East Africa Community (EAC) Coffee Business Forum in Mombasa, Kenya, with fellow panelists Mr. Michael Muwonge, Director, FACTS Africa; Mr. Robert Waggwa Nsibiswa, CEO, Africa Coffee Academy; Mr Felix Bikpo, CEO, African Guarantee Fund; Mr. Emmanuel Niyungeko, Director General, ARFIC and Ms. Gloria Gummerus, Director, Sakami Ranches ltd. The discussions focused on the need to create consensus for the removal of trade barriers and the new financing instruments available in the market
The Forum is part of the Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) https://www.eacmarkup.org/ , an initiative conceived by the EAC Secretariat in partnership with the European Union (EU) and implemented by various agencies, including the International Trade Centre and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The MARKUP aims to increase exports of agribusiness and horticultural products and promote regional integration and access to the European market by addressing specific challenges that SMEs, Trade and Investment Support Institutions (TISIs) and policy-makers face in access regional and EU export markets.
For the first time, the Forum brings together public and private stakeholders to discuss concrete solutions to boost trade and investment opportunities for coffee exporters. The event feature talks by high-level officials of the EAC Secretariat, Government of EAC Partner States, AFCA as well as investors, corporations and institutions. Themes of the event will include the removal of coffee trade barriers, with a spotlight on the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement; innovative mechanisms to facilitate access to credit and buyer and investor priorities are acting upon.