Daily News  :: East Africa

Addis Ababa - Promoting 'Made in Africa' goods would be the focus of a three-day private sector forum scheduled for November 28-30 2006 in Cairo, Egypt, under the auspices of the African Union (AU) Commission, the organisation's Communication and Information Division announced on Thursday.

The AU's Economic Affairs Department has invited all interested African private sector business people to take part in the forum that would be held under the theme: "Empowering the African Private Sector and Promoting ‘Made in Africa’".

According to the Commission, the key objective of the forum was to elaborate a strategy and action plan to empower and promote a proactive and vibrant African private sector that could play a significant role in energising African economies to achieve poverty reduction and other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Topics suggested for discussion at the forum include: Increasing intra-Africa trade in African products, role of the media in promoting 'Made in Africa', using science and technology as a tool for diversifying and enhancing competitiveness of African products, and investment opportunities in Africa.

Participants at the forum would also deliberate on financing African private sectors, supporting development of small and medium enterprises and the role of micro-finance in Africa, promoting public-private partnerships, and economic empowerment of African women.

It was envisaged that the discussions of these topics would culminate in the elaboration of a private sector development strategy and action plan, which would guide the activities of the private sector.

On the margins of the forum, private companies would hold an exhibition of various 'Made in Africa' merchandise. -panapress