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By Monica Muema
East African business leaders are eager to chart out a common agenda during the upcoming Commonwealth Business Forum slated for June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.
“The Commonwealth of Nations is composed of 54 countries with a population of 2.6 billion and GDP of USD 14 trillion.
The upcoming Commonwealth Business Forum taking place in Kigali offers an opportunity for East Africa to drive the Common Future of our economies,” said Prof. Godius Kahyarara, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industrialization & Trade of the United Republic Tanzania during the CEO RoundTable Meeting in Dar es Salaam on Commonwealth Business Forum organized by the Rwanda High Commission to Tanzania in partnership with the CEO RoundTable Tanzania, Rwanda Development Board and collaboration with the East African Community and the East African Business Council.
In his welcome remarks, Mr. Sanjay Rughani, Chair of CEO RoundTanzania said a consistent policy regime is important to drive economic growth and prosperity for women and youth in the EAC region and across the Commonwealth of Nations.
Major General Charles Karamba, Rwanda High Commissioner elaborated that the theme for the Commonwealth Business Forum is “Delivering a Common Future Connecting, Innovating, and Transforming.”
He welcomed the CEOs in Tanzania and EAC bloc to strongly take part in the Commonwealth Business Forum – the largest gathering of international thought leaders that will convene business and government leaders from across the Commonwealth to dialogue on leveraging common networks to enhance trade and investment.
Louise Kanyonga, Chief Strategist Rwanda Development Board said the Commonwealth Business Forum is a platform for knowledge sharing between developed countries and developing countries to drive innovation and strengthen investment ties.
She elaborated that the Commonwealth Business Forum will share best practices from successful regional economic communities such as the ASEAN Economic Community.
She urged business leaders to convene in Kigali and chart out uniform standards to promote efficiency in international trade between commonwealth nations, craft a common agenda on carbon finance and strengthen the collaboration with International Finance Centers.
In his key note speech on the role of EAC in promoting regional integration, conducive business and environment and sustainable economic growth, Mr. Kalisa, EABC CEO said “the EAC offers market access to more than 280 million people and a combined GDP size of about US 240 billion.”
He stated that Rwanda and Kenya are among the top competitive countries in the ease of doing business report (World Bank). He stated that the Commonwealth Business Forum is an opportunity for industry captains in East Africa to network and forge trade ties with counterparts from Commonwealth Nations and benefit from economies of scale.
David Concar stated strengthening trade ties between sub-Saharan Africa and India is an immense opportunity to drive trade and prosperity among the Commonwealth of Nations.
The CEO RoundTable Meeting on Commonwealth Business Forum convened over 40 business leaders in Tanzania.
The Commonwealth Business Forum 2022 will deliberate relevant business topics such as: Trade challenging protectionism and reducing the barriers to business, Innovation, Global Value Chains in a Post COVID World, Healthcare, Sustainable Tourism, Financing and FinTech, Financing Blue-Green Growth for Sustainable Islands, Future Cities, Future of Work and Food Security.