Over 300 Tanzanian artisans participate in EAC Trade Fair

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Xinhua | More than 300 Tanzanian artisans are participating in the 22nd edition of the East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair that kicked off in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Dec. 8, a statement said Sunday.

The statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation said the 300 Tanzanian artisans are part of 1,500 artisans attending the trade fair from the EAC’s member states of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.

The statement said the Tanzanian artisans have joined their colleagues from other EAC countries in showcasing their marine products, agricultural products, tourism products, leather products, and traditional medicines.

The trade fair themed “Buy East African to Build East Africa for Resilience and Sustainable Development” started on Dec. 8 and ends on Dec. 18 at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala.

According to the EAC, the main objective of the trade fair is to contribute toward the realization of the region’s development goals and aspirations by lending support to this budding sector of the economy.

The first EAC MSMEs Trade Fair was held in Arusha, Tanzania in November 1999 during the historic event of the signing of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC, said the statement.

The statement said subsequent to the success of the Arusha exhibition, the EAC heads of state directed that the trade fair be held annually on a rotational basis among the EAC member states to enhance and revamp the socio-economic integration of the people of East Africa.

#Happeningnow join us live throughhttps://t.co/9o9NSUufdp as Uganda hosts the East Africa Community Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) #MSMEs22 Exhibitions at Kololo Independence Ground, Kampala pic.twitter.com/dpGPkMjSWc

— East African Community (@jumuiya) December 10, 2022