State Department for Trade Principal Secretary (PS), Alfred K'ombudo, has urged traders in the Lake region, to take advantage of the European Union's Economic Partnership Agreement (EU EPA), to access the expansive $16 trillion market. The EPA which was signed on 18th December 2023, he said, presented a golden opportunity for farmers, traders, and businesses in the agricultural rich region, to reap big through exporting their produce to the 27 countries of the European Union (EU).
Through the agreement, the PS said, traders would enjoy duty-free-quota-free access to the EU market for Kenyan primary products, and all the manufactured products, which were not allowed to enter the EU market in the previous framework.
He added that the partnership which comes with a development cooperation component, to support Kenya to meet EU product requirements and build capacity for export, was set to stimulate economic growth in the country.
Speaking in Kisumu, Friday, during a sensitisation meeting for stakeholders drawn from Vihiga, Siaya and Kisumu counties, K'ombudo said the initiative was key in the implementation of the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), addressing gaps in access to markets for local products.
