Posts by Alastair Tempest
The EU’s Proposal to Drop its “de Minimis” Rule Opposed by the EFA
On the other worrying customs duty issue, the EU proposed mid-2023 to drop the rule that allows goods valued at less than Euro150 into the Union duty free – this…
Read MoreThe WTO’s Moratorium on Customs Duties Applied to Electronic Transmissions.
Readers will recall that this issue has long been on EFA’s agenda, starting back in 2020. The Agreement must be renewed every 2 years. In 2019 a UNCTAD researcher published…
Read MoreWorld Trade Organisation Ministers (MC13) To Meet in Abu Dhabi
The WTO’s “MC13” meeting will take place on 26-29 February. It will be a key meeting for the Organisation. Of great importance to ecommerce is the Moratorium (see below), but…
Read MoreStarting the Year with the Wrong Sort of Crash – Some Good News, and the Forecasts of the AfDB for 2024
Dear Readers, we hope the new year started well for you and will continue to bring you success. Unfortunately, 2024 at the EFSA/EFA offices started with the crash of my…
Read MoreOpportunities, Events and Publications
Y Combinator W24 Y Combinator has opened up at least 10 additional spots in the W24 batch for companies that apply now via a special application process – see https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/new-year-new-company FINCA…
Read MoreCrossing African Frontiers – for work or holidays – is Getting Easier
Going through African border controls as an individual is getting easier. The Africa Visa Openness Index 2023 reveals much progress since the 7th edition of the report was published last December.…
Read MoreKenya May Become the Drone Capital of Africa
European aerospace giant Airbus is considering Kenya as the base for its first earth station for high-altitude communication drones, opening the potential for up to 1,000 jobs for locals. Airbus…
Read MoreSA Businesses Lack Government Support
According to the latest ‘Digital Innovation Index Report 2023’, SA companies face tremendous challenges to compete on the global market, while simultaneously addressing local socioeconomic inequalities and nurturing nationwide prosperity,…
Read MoreEFA and EFSA Support the Future of Education and Work in Africa (FEWA) Conference
FEWA will be held in Nairobi in April Details are here FEWA CONFERENCE 2024. This will be part of the AU’s 2024 Year of Education programme. Let me know if…
Read MoreStandards in the Way of SMEs
According to the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) and the East African Business Council (EABC), failure to understand and meet set product and service standards continues to lock out SMEs…
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