THE STANDARD
Maize crops being harvested at a farm at Kipkenyo village in Uasin Gishu county. Continued rains have affected the maize crop as most of it has rotten before being harvested. [PHOTO BY: KEVIN TUNOI]
Kenyan authorities yesterday backtracked on the maize import ban from Uganda and Tanzania after traders protested the move in what was seen as an attempt to avert a full-blown trade war with the neighbouring countries.
In what contradicted an earlier directive by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said the issue had been taken out of context.
He said the directive was meant to safeguard consumers through tightening of safety measures and not a blanket ban on maize imports from the region.
Published on: Tuesday, March 09, 2021
By: Bernama
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TAWAU: The reopening of barter trade and transshipment trans-border activities in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) from March 5 will help restore the positive prospects of the economic sectors impacted by Covid-19.
R-NIE Enterprise manager Arniati Sulaiman, one of the players involved, said the decision to allow non-convention ships (NCS) or kumpits (traditional wooden boats) to transport goods from Sabah to Indonesia and the Philippines, and vice-versa, helped to halt the losses suffered by industry players in Tawau.
“These activities certainly contribute to Sabah’s economy and the State government’s decision is very appropriate and brings relief to all barter trade and transshipment players here.
In the east Asian superpower's first shipment of vaccine donations to Africa, China sent 200 000 doses to arrive in Zimbabwe on Monday while 600 000 more were expected to arrive in early March.
News24/Alex Mitchley
A local business body claims the economic impact will be minimal.
Cross-border traders, however, say they will not be able to fend for themselves .
The closure of the Beitbridge border post for general entry and departure will not have much of an impact on the Zimbabwean economy as the transportation of fuel, cargo and goods will still be allowed, the head of a local business body said on Tuesday.
This, however, is not the case for small businesses operating in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, who will likely bear the brunt as the new arrangements leave cross-border traders scrambling to work around a lack of flexibility.
An immigration officer processes the entry of a traveller entering South Africa at passport control.
Pretoria – The International Cross-Border Traders Association (ICTA) on Wednesday said the government of Zimbabwe has made a special arrangement allowing citizens with work permits in foreign countries to travel back to their foreign places of work despite a hard lockdown announced by the country’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the health minister.
“At first Mr Chiwenga announced that no one was allowed to make any movements (during the hard lockdown re-imposed last weekend to curb the spread of Covid-19). We then showed our disquiet to the government of Zimbabwe,” said ICTA president Denis Juru.