Regional Body Launches an Electronic Trade Information Data Base

Nairobi — Moving goods within and outside the region is going to take less time following the launch of an electronic data base on existing rules, procedures, regulations, and documents on trade.

The trade e-portal has been developed by the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations to address the challenges faced in importing and exporting to and from the East African region that eventually translate into high cost implications to traders.


"The federation's e-portal is expected to become an important reference point for traders before submission of the required trade documents making them better informed about import and export procedures in the region," said FEAFFA's regional executive officer John Mathenge at the launch of the.The minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Rwanda, Kanimba Francois launched the portal officially this week in Kigali.



According to Mr Mathenge, the portal would reduce the cost of doing business in the region as clearing and forwarding agents will substantially spend less time searching for the relevant trade document, rules, procedures and regulations governing cross border movement of cargo to and from the EAC partner states.

The facility will provide freight forwarders real time information on the documents, procedures, taxes and duties payable and the rules and regulations governing the importation and exportation of certain major products into and out of the East African countries. = The portal was developed with support from TradeMark East Africa as part of the efforts towards establishing a single window System and integrated border management in the region. These are programmes that aim at facilitating trade in the region.

Internet Governance - the Need for a Global Management Body

Should developing nations fear or embrace the Internet? This is a question that should be responded to in the affirmative on the surface. After all, how would our lives be without email, websites, facebook, twitter and linkedin, among others?


In fact, one wonders how the urban, elite, (office workers, researchers, the corporate world) lived without the Internet only a couple of years ago. Undoubtedly the Internet along with other information society technologies and mobile telephony stands out has added tonnes of value to modern life. Precisely because we are hooked and even addicted to the Internet in the globalised world is the more reason why we should be wary of its downsides while leveraging on its many undeniable positives.

While issues such as digital divide, crime and pornography have been identified as cyberspace challenges, governance remains on the fringes of the pros and cons of the Internet.

As perceptive communications critics have pointed out, control and management of the Internet from a single government, the US, is a cause for concern. The addresses that all Internet users - corporate and individual - use are assigned by the Internet Corporations for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organisation established by the US government.

This means that all email addresses, websites, portals and servers are, as communications scholar Dan Schiller puts it, "supervised by the US by the US."

Even if we held the view that the US government is responsible enough not to abuse the special position of being the unilateral Internet governance agency, this situation is inherently slanted for a resource that is used by over 2 billion so-called netizens.


This is indeed what communications scholars refer to as hegemony - another word for domination. For, it's not too much of a stretch to argue that since the US singly provides overall management of the Internet, it has the potential to rule over the 2 billion-plus people who live and work through Internet.Such unfettered unilateral access to global data should have everybody worried, more so governments and large non-US corporates.

What if, for example, some elements in the US government decided to mine data on countries, organisations and individuals from the Internet to further the political, economic or social ends of Uncle Sam?

There is no end to all manner of speculation as to the potential abuse of this power by the US, particularly at a time when the world's single superpower is struggling to remain afloat, economically.The US government would be the first to strenuously deny the possibility of someone intruding into confidential content and accessing the codes that create domain names. Fair enough.

As with Wikileaks, the initial source was a disgruntled US civil servant with access to the diplomatic cables that have supremely embarrassed governments across the world and changed the face of diplomacy.


For instance, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reported to have said that "on their own, new technologies do not take sides in the struggle for freedom and progress, but the US does; we stand for a single Internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas."

This is another way of saying that the US may use its Internet prowess to influence political discourse and even actively advocate change in some parts of the world.

Against this statement, consider that the US has been promoting youth movements specifically tapping Internet strategies. Recall the spurt between the Kenyan government and former US ambassador Michael Rannenberger early this year?

To what extent are these movements based on covert information on governments and societies?

Just such worries led to lobbying particularly by developing nations for the establishment of a supranational body to oversee Internet management during the World Society for the Information Society in Tunis in 2005.

IGF is more interested in cyber crime, broadband availability, new technologies and legal and regulatory issues at regional and country levels.Where the hot button issue of management of the Internet numbers and names resources is concerned, the US can't budge, won't budge and IGF will follow cue without question.


However, in an ideal situation, IGF or UNESCO would be the best organisational home for the assignment of addresses to the world's netizens - individual and corporate. Decision making on key policy and operational issues on the Internet would be representational, with each country represented in one way or another.

The prevailing debate on Internet management and the unequal information flows as well as global security issues is at the heart of the intersection between politics and information technology today.

As to whether the push for a UN-style entity to manage this resource will succeed remains to be seen. The US will not willingly agree to loosen its grip over this resource. So much for democracy.

German Software Firm Launches Product

In Dar es Salaam A German business application software provider for industries and market segments, SAP AG, has launched its new product for small and medium businesses in Tanzania.

According to the chief executive officer (CEO) of Double Click Consulting Ltd, Mr Ali Shariff, the product called Sap Business One 8.8.1, integrates all core business functions across an entire company including all key departments within the particular organisation.


With sap application in a particular company, different departments get connected to one system and they get email notifications of what is going on in another section in terms of transactions.

"Unlike other small business solutions on the market today, Sap business one is a single application eliminating the need for separate installations and complex integration of multiple modules...Sap brings all systems together and the manager can view the whole company simply," said Mr Shariff.


Mr Shariff was speaking during a press briefing before the official launch of the software in yesterday in Dar es Salaam.Sap delivers its software solutions in Tanzania through its business partners who are Advance One, Bluekey, Double Click Consulting Ltd, iO.sys and ITSL.

The Sap Business One Channel Manager for Africa Region, Mr Nazir Jadavji said the product was meant for all companies and small and medium entrepreneurs for efficient management of their respective organisations.

"We have packages of different levels of organisations from SMEs to government institutions like ministries and its departments," said Mr Jadavji.

However, it was noted that only few organisations about 20 companies are using the software in the country and according to Mr Shariff, the low turnout is due to lack of merits of using such systems in their operations.

Dar es Salaam Welcomes India to Invest in ICT

Minister for Communications, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa

Indians businessmen and women have been asked to seize the abundant opportunities in Tanzania by investing in key areas such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development.

The challenge was thrown here by the Minister for Communications, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa, during the plenary session of the India-Africa Business Partnership summit which opened here on Thursday.


He said the government wants investors particularly in developing local multi-media content software that would address issues that are relevant to the national development.

"Instead of relying on software that has been designed for the entire world, we need investors who would develop a customized IT content for our country," he said.

He told the two-day forum that has brought together ministers from different African countries, businessmen and women, diplomats and representatives from multinational companies mainly based in India that Tanzania's fiscal and political stability offer a credible offer for investments.

"With its strategic geographical position, Tanzania places itself as the most ideal place in the entire East and Central African region where investors not only from India but world over could come and explore various untapped business opportunities," he said.


He mentioned other areas which are yet to be tapped fully as IT parks and small ICT villages where the youth could assemble and design software that is ideal for the local markets.

He gave an example of business processing outsourcing (BPO) system which could create more jobs for Tanzanians by creating calling centres in the country.

The minister said Indian investors should also capitalize on the fast growing East African Community (EAC) market, covering over 140 million people.

He said that with the improved communication and infrastructure such as road and railway network, the EAC market offers a quick return on investment (ROI).

"The fibre optic project has made communication easier for Tanzania and the landlocked countries such as Zambia, Malawi, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda," he said.

The first phase of Tanzania's 10,674-kilometre national fibre-optic backbone was completed in May last year, connecting to the SEACOM, and EASSy submarine cables.

It runs from Mombasa (Kenya) through Nairobi (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), Kigali (Rwanda), and Bujumbura (Burundi) to Dar es Salaam.

The minister also called for investments in mining, agro-based industry, energy, manufacturing, health and education.

Deputy Minister in the Zanzibar Ministry of Trade, Industry and Marketing, Ms Thuwayba Kisasi who is also attending the summit also called on for investments in tourism, value adding on agro-products and deep sea fishing.

Vodacom Tanzania offers flexible bill payments

Vodacom Tanzania and Nokia Siemens Networks has announced an agreement with Vodacom Tanzania to offer flexible bill payment options.


Dietlof Mare, Vodacom Tanzania MD (image source: Vodacom Tanzania)

Nokia Siemens Networks has migrated the existing charging and billing system of Vodacom Tanzania to its own charge-at-once unified platform.

With the unified platform, Vodacom Tanzania’s customers can now flexibly choose either prepaid, post paid or a combination of both payment options for voice, data and SMS services. The platform also offers a wide set of pre-defined modules that can be used to create marketing campaigns with minimal effort and more flexibility in a shorter turnaround time.

“We wanted our customers to be the first to enjoy flexibility in bill payments, and we have become the first ones to implement this flexibility in Africa,” said Dietlof Mare, Vodacom Tanzania MD in a statement.

“Nokia Siemens Networks’ exceptional delivery capabilities ensured fast rollout of flexible payment methods for all services used by our individual and enterprise customers. The new platform also significantly reduces the effort required for the implementation of these flexible payment options. With a customer base of over ten million subscribers, we are always committed to bringing world-class solutions to our customers in the Tanzanian market,” added Dietlof.

Deon Geyser, customer team head at Nokia Siemens Networks said: “Implementing Nokia Siemens Networks’ unified charging and billing platform is an example of Vodacom’s commitment to introducing the latest technology on the market, offering a wide range of services with flexible payment methods. The platform provides flexible bill payment options for both fixed and mobile network services for all customers.”

With migration to Nokia Siemens Networks’ charge-at-once unified platform, the customers of Vodacom Tanzania can now choose post-paid method for using services for business purposes, and prepaid option for private voice calls or SMS. In addition, the platform enables family contracts, where parents can opt for post-paid payment for their voice services and use their phones to recharge their children’s prepaid subscriptions.

Nokia Siemens Networks’ charging and billing platform has a variety of features including self administration, which allows customers to set bill limits and receive alerts on exceeding it. It also allows them various options for recharging their prepaid accounts. With this platform, the operator can also offer special SMS plans as well as customised tariff schemes to its subscribers for internet use.

Vodacom Tanzania Limited is Tanzania’s leading cellular network offering state-of-the-art GSM communication services to more than 10 million customers across the country. It is a subsidiary company of Vodacom Group of South Africa.

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services.