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| Kenya shut from AGOA trade gains
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Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) -
A top Kenya government official has
complained that traders from the Eastern African country are yet
to benefit from the export of dairy and other agricultural
commodities under the US African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA).
And the goal, the official observed, could only be achieved if
Washington approved a certified body for animal and plant export
to enable the products gain access into the US.
The Permanent Secretary at the ministry of Trade, Margaret
Chemengich, while speaking at a regional workshop on African
women in Agri-business Network Development in Nairobi, hoped that
certification would be arrived at soon "to enable Kenya take
optimum advantage from the AGOA initiative."
Chemengich at the same time asked women to engage more in cross
border informal trade, which did not pose tariff barriers, while
awaiting the bigger trade tariffs to be rationalised between
respective governments.
She complained that despite active participation in agro-
business, women were regarded as high risk by financial
institutions because of lack of access to secure credit
facilities.
Kenyan participants at the workshop were unhappy that grassroots
women do not benefit from the export of textile and apparel under
the AGOA initiative.
There were also misgivings that governments were quick in signing
treaties eliminating various tariff barriers, but were slow or
unwilling to implement them.
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| Nairobi - 09/04/2002 |
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