MARITIME ORGANISATION OF WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA (MOWCA)
Sub-Regional Sectoral Integration - for cost effective maritime/transit transport services, high on safety, security, low on pollution

Allafrica.org
Nairobi

Shippers in East Africa are meeting in Eldoret this week for a conference aimed at addressing poor understanding of international maritime trading terms.

Lack of relevant knowledge in the industry has been blamed for the low benefits accruing from the sector in the eastern Africa region.

The forum is aimed at equipping stakeholders in the maritime sector with the appropriate use of International Commercial Shipment Terms, commonly referred to as INCOTERMS.

The workshop seeks to familiarise players in the industry with international terms used in export-import trade. The workshop is partly organised by the Northern Corridor Transit Authority.

"This workshop is aimed at, among other things, empowering shippers in the eastern Africa sub-region, and particularly along the Northern Corridor transit axis, on various matters related to financing of foreign trade," said Mrs Nancy Karigithu, Director-General of KMA.

The workshop, which is organised by the Kenya Maritime Authority in conjunction with the Kenya Shippers Council and the Inter-governmental Standing Committee on Shipping, is partly organised by the Northen Corridor Transit Authority.

Similar forums are scheduled for other countries, including Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, in efforts to increase the contribution of the maritime industry to the economies of the respective countries.

The workshop comes a fortnight after the opening of a maritime centre of excellence in Mombasa as the region grapples with increasing insecurity in the high seas.

The centre, which is located at Bandari Training College and is the first of its kind in Africa, will provide training to both maritime officers and civilians on security at sea.

According to the US Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Rennaberger, the centre will benefit countries in the region on various maritime issues -- including the war against piracy and the campaign to protect the environment from degradation.

Training of coast guards will also be provided at the centre, as will courses on port operations, fisheries and Customs.

The centre's curriculum was partly developed by the US Naval War College in collaboration with the Global Maritime and Transportation School and the Bandari College.

The US funded the centre.

Training for the first batch of participants kicked off on Monday and will go on for three weeks.

Those attending the course are drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt, Seychelles, Morocco, Senegal, Comoros and Mauritius.