Will regional integration and infrastructure development make East Africa a more enabling investment and business hub?

Friday, 12 June 2009

According to a recent African Union think-tank, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. The role of regional integration in reducing exorbitant infrastructure costs in Africa provides an achievable way forward for tackling Africa's mounting infrastructure backlog. Africa's infrastructure needs require more than money. Among the additional areas that require attention are: political commitment, sound policies and wise management. The funding gap could also be reduced by as much as half through the proper maintenance of the current infrastructure.

Infrastructure Partnerships for African Development EAST AFRICA is the the one-stop-shop, high-level conference and exhibition focusing on infrastructure development, trade and investment in East Africa. It is the strategic regional event for the East African region, providing a forum for all stakeholders in the project value chain to meet and explore opportunities for developing and investing in the infrastructure of the region

The iPAD series launched in 2005 as a means to not only closely examine the infrastructure requirements of key regional hubs, but also to bring together the stakeholders and the entire project value chain: government, project developers, financiers, big business, local and international investors, engineers, vendors and civil society.

Already established in the DRC, West Africa and Angola, iPAD now comes to Tanzania for East Africa.

PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release

Friday, 24 April 2009

Top regional government participation as eager investors look to East Africa at Tanzanian meeting in August

A top line-up of speakers will address the need for a stable power supply for the development of the economy of Tanzania and the East African Community during the East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC) from 11-13 August 2009 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

EAPIC is already in its 11th year and forms part of Infrastructure Partnerships for African Development (iPAD) East Africa.

The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Ambassador Dr Juma Mwapachu, will chair the keynote session of iPAD East Africa 2009. Another top government participant will be His Excellency Mr William Ngeleja, Minister of Energy and Minerals, Tanzania.

EAPIC aims to address crucial issues within the regional power sector and find solutions to enhance growth, productivity and profitability for business.

Tanzania is the biggest of the East Africa countries (i.e. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) and offers tremendous opportunities for investors as it is endowed with abundance of natural resources such as arable land, a wide base for raw materials supply from local source; political stability, good market policy (privatisation, investment incentive, liberalised foreign exchange controls and the ongoing establishment of socially responsible economy) excellent geographical location in the East African region and excellent tourist attractions. Mineral and industrial production have picked up since the private sector was allowed more participation.

Energy infrastructure is crucial to the region’s reaching its development goals. Unbundling of state-owned utilities to encourage Independent Power Producers (IPPs) – and the interconnection of grids (power pools) are all strategies to accelerate electricity infrastructure development. The increasing interest in oil in the region sees this commodity as another potential way to bring development that will benefit all the peoples of the region.

It is in this context that iPAD East Africa comes to Tanzania. Partnerships between government and the private sector are critical to the economic growth of the region and iPAD East Africa will bring the decision makers to the table, from a cross section of infrastructure verticals.

This 3-day event provides a forum for government and business to meet and explore opportunities for developing and investing in the infrastructure of Tanzania and greater East Africa.

The iPAD series of events was established in 2005, during which international delegations attended iPAD events hosted in Angola, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The goal is still to create a powerful and cost-effective source of knowledge to assist stakeholders – government, public and private sector, local and international investors - to strengthen their network and opportunities to build a valuable database of contacts and investigate investment opportunities in key sectors like power, mining, water, agriculture, transport, ICT/telecommunications, finance.

For more information please contact:
Conference producer: Nicole Smith
Phone: +27 21 700 3500 / 888 559 8017 (US)
Direct: +27 21 700 3522
Fax: +27 21 700 3501 / 413 487 6276 (US)
Email: nicole.smith@spintelligent.com

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