TradeMark unveils new board with former WTO boss as advisor

The Nairobi headquartered TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) has revealed a board including high-profile individuals expected to deliver an ambitious logistics target for the region this year.

Headed by chairman of Infotech Investment Group (Tanzania) Ali Mufuruki its members that include Acumen Fund’s regional CEO Duncan Onyango, former Kenya Private Sector Alliance chairman Patrick Obath and President of the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Association Merian Sebunya.

Other new TMEA directors are Rosette Chantal Rugamba, Patricia Ithau, CEO of Econet Wireless (Burundi), Anthony Masozera, Earl Gast and Jacqueline Busingye Lutaya.

TMEA chief executive Frank Matsaert said the new board is a reflection of a huge pool of talent in East Africa and draws from the leading business people in the region’s private sector.

Matsaert also announced that Pascal Lamy, the former head of the World Trade Organisation, has joined TMEA as a special advisor to the board of directors; he is one of three non East African members representing donor interests on the new board.

The board has a target of reducing transport cost in the region by 15 per cent, cutting cross-border transit time by 30 per cent and raising the region’s export by 10 per cent in one year through investments in infrastructure as well as streamlining regulations and systems.

“The Kenya and Tanzania ports, for instance, will get a joint Sh200 million from TMEA donor funds for the improvement of hardware infrastructure, one stop border posts and roads,’’ said Matsaert.

Story corrected on August 26 to remove inaccurate references to the role Mr Pascal Lamy will play.