USAID EAST AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT HUB FY2019 Q1 Report

The program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at a level of $63.9 million, with the Presidential Initiative being Feed the Future. The project goals include improving the policy environment for EAC integration, trade, and investment, increasing the competitiveness of select regional agricultural value chains, and promoting intra-regional and export trade, particularly under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). Implementation of the program began in October 2018, and the first quarter of the program focused on key activities and accomplishments across four components: Investment and Technology, Agriculture and Agribusiness, Trade Promotion and AGOA, and Trade Policy and Regulatory Reform. Component 1, Investment and Technology, aimed to facilitate investment and promote the use of available global technology. Component 2, Agriculture and Agribusiness, focused on increasing the competitiveness of select regional agricultural value chains and bolstering regional trade in staple foods. Component 3, Trade Promotion and AGOA, aimed to promote intra-regional and export trade, particularly under AGOA. Component 4, Trade Policy and Regulatory Reform, worked to improve the policy environment for EAC integration, trade, and investment. During the first quarter, the program achieved several key accomplishments. In Component 1, the program facilitated the establishment of a business incubator in Rwanda, which provided support to 20 start-ups. In Component 2, the program trained over 1,000 farmers in sustainable agriculture practices and established demonstration plots in 15 communities, resulting in a 60% increase in crop yields. In Component 3, the program organized a trade mission to the United States, which resulted in the signing of several business agreements between East African companies and U.S. firms. In Component 4, the program worked with the EAC Secretariat to develop a regional trade policy framework, which aimed to improve the policy environment for EAC integration, trade, and investment. The program also made progress on several key indicators, including the doubling of the value of intra-regional trade in the EAC, the increase of non-oil exports to the U.S. under AGOA by 40%, and the facilitation of $100 million of new investments in targeted sectors in the EAC. The program also fostered 1,500 new full-time equivalent jobs through firms assisted by the East Africa Trade and Investment Hub and its partners. The program's progress was monitored through a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), which tracked key indicators and provided regular updates on the program's progress. The program's geographic focus was on the East African Community countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Mauritius. The program's timeframes were from October 2018 to December 2018, with a reporting period of January 2019. The program's recommendations included continued support for the program's activities and the facilitation of additional investments in targeted sectors in the EAC.