Kenya gears up for southern Sudan trade

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 26, 2005 (PANA) — Kenyan manufacturers and the trade and
industry ministry Wednesday met here to discuss way of enhancing
trade with semi-autonomous southern Sudan.

The Kenyan firms are eyeing the southern Sudan export market
whose potentials were unlocked by the recent peace accord signed
in Kenya 9 January to end the 21-year-old civil war that ravaged
the vast region.

The meeting, led by trade and industry minister Mukhisa Kituyi
and the manufacturers association, sought to devise ways of
lowering the cost of industrial production and increasing the
export volumes to stimulate a rapid economic growth in the
country.

It comes as a prelude to a 27-30 January forum with the
government at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, about 210km north-west
of here, to discuss the main concerns of the industry players.

In remarks, minister Kituyi disclosed that Kenya had secured land
in the proposed southern Sudan capital of Rumbek to construct a
modern consulate, but that the move was still under consideration
as Juba, another town in the vast south, was tipped to become the
capital of the semi-autonomous government soon to be set up.

He said talks were still continuing on ways of promoting trade
with southern Sudan, with the main focus on easing the process of
registering new investments.

“We are waiting for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)
leader John Garang to set up the new government,” Kituyi told
PANA here Wednesday.

He said government intended to improve the competitiveness of the
local industry, with plans afoot for the Kenya Investment
Promotion Centre (IPC) to issue provisional licences to
prospective investors while awaiting the mandatory ones.