Programme of Work
8:00 – 9:00 |
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Registration |
9:00 – 10:30 |
| Opening Ceremony |
Masters of Ceremony: Ms. Laïla Said Hassane, Executive Director, Meck – Moroni, Union of Comoros Mr. Abdallah Nouroudine, Director CNDRS - Centre National de Documentation et de Recherche Scientifique, Union of Comoros
- Welcoming remarks by Hon. Said Ali Chayhane, Minister of Finance and Budget of the Union of Comoros - Introductory remarks by the Government of Kenya, outgoing Chair of the 20th Bureau of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts - Remarks by Mr. Matthias Zana Naab, UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Union of Comoros - Opening Remarks by Mr. Andrew Mold, Officer-in-Charge of ECA in Eastern Africa - Short documentary on the work of ECA in Eastern Africa - Key note address by Hon. Djaffar Ahmed Said Hassani, the Vice-president for Economy, Planning, Industry, Crafts, Investments, Private Sector and Land Affairs of the Union of Comoros
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10:30 - 10:45 |
| Coffee Break
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10:45 – 11:00 |
| Constitution of the Bureau, Review and Adoption of the Agenda In this session, the new Bureau of the ICE will be elected and will guide participants towards the review and adoption of the agenda.
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11:00 – 11:30 |
| Presentation of the Macroeconomic and Social Developments in Eastern Africa 2016-17 – Mr. Andrew Mold, Officer-in-Charge of ECA in Eastern Africa
The regional economies have been growing well over the last decade - but have been facing increasing headwinds. Although average growth rates have been among the fastest in Africa, per capita growth rates have been much more modest. This opening session reviews recent progress and challenges in the economic performance. Long-term issues related to the pace of structural transformation, domestic resource mobilisation, foreign investment, infrastructural bottlenecks and social challenges will be discussed from a comparative perspective. |
11:30 – 12:30 |
| Panel Discussion on the Macroeconomic and Social Developments in Eastern Africa 2016-17 |
Moderator: Mr. George Ndirangu, News Anchor CNBC Africa - Hon. Djaffar Ahmed Said Hassani, Vice-president for Economy, Planning, Industry, Crafts, Investments, Private Sector and Land Affairs of the Union of Comoros - Ms. Carole Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance - Mr. Hamada Madi Boléro, Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission - Mr. Godfrey Kabera, Director General of National Development Planning and Research at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of Rwanda
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12:30 - 13:00 |
| Media Briefing
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12:30 – 14:00 |
| Lunch Break
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14:00 – 14:45 |
| Report on the Third Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development - Mr. Nassim Oulmane, Chief of the Green Economy and Natural Resources Section at ECA
Since 2015, the Africa Regional Forum has been convened on an annual basis to follow up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063. The 2017 meeting, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 17-19 May, focused on issues related to achieving greater food security, promoting gender equality, industrialisation, and the sustainable development of oceans, seas and marine resources. This session will report back on the keys messages emanating from those discussions.
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14:45 – 16:00 |
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The Blue Economy: How to leverage its full potential
This session will discuss blue economy opportunities in Eastern Africa, based on ECA’s recent publication Blue Economy Policy Handbook. It will further provide a platform to raise awareness about the full potential of the blue economy. The session will showcase best-practice examples in deep-sea mining, fisheries, and port management that could be replicated and scaled-up. |
Presentations by: - Mr. Yannick Beaudoin, Chief Scientist, GRID-Arendal - Mr. Philippe Murcia, Consultant, Ocean Company Consulting - Ms. Vita Onwuasoanya, Legal Officer, United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea - Mr. Kaiser de Souza, Head, Geology and Mineral Information Section, African Mineral Development Centre, ECA - Ms. Daya Bragante, Head, Cluster on Sub-Regional Initiatives, ECA for Eastern Africa
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16:00 - 16:15 |
| Coffee Break
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16:15 – 17:30 |
| Panel Discussion on The Blue Economy: How to Leverage its Full Potential
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Moderator: Ms. Novella Nikwigize, News Presenter at Rwanda Broadcasting Agency - Official Representative (TBD), Madagascar Ocean State Secretariat - Mr. Imam Abdillah, Blue Economy Focal Point for the Union of Comoros - Mr. Firdaus Dahlan, Director, Indian Ocean Rim Association - Ms. Nozipho Mdawe, Secretary General, Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA)
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19:00 – 20:30 |
| Welcome cocktail hosted by the Government of the Union of Comoros |
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8:30 – 9:00 |
| Recap of Day 1 |
9:00 – 11:00 |
| Infrastructure Development and Industrialization in Eastern Africa
Eastern African Member States are aspiring to industrialize and are pursuing strategies to facilitate industrial growth. Infrastructure development is a key component of that strategy. This session will raise key issues for discussion related to the role of infrastructure in furthering the industrialization agenda of Eastern Africa, share country and regional experiences, and review challenges and options for infrastructure finance.
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Presentation - Energy Development and Industrialization in Eastern Africa Mr. Yohannes Hailu, Economic Affairs Officer, ECA for Eastern Africa
Panel Discussion on Infrastructure Development and Industrialization in Eastern Africa
Moderator: Mr. Laban-Cliff Onserio, Business Reporter at Nation Media Group-NTV - Mr. Andre Kabwe Bibombe, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo - Mr. Abiot Ashagre, Manager of the Huajuan Industry Zone, Ethiopia - Ms. Fabienne Pehuet Lucet, Energy, Industry and Infrastructure Expert, Marketing and International Development, International Consultant - Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, Senior Inter-Regional Advisor, Head of Regional Integration and Infrastructure Cluster (NEPAD Focal Point), Capacity Development Division, ECA - Mr. David Niyonsenga,Infrastructure Expert, East African Community, EAC
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11:00 – 11:15 |
| Coffee Break |
11:15 – 13:00 |
| Policies to Enhance the Competitiveness of the Tourism Sector
Tourism is now an important economic sector for a number of countries in the sub-region in terms of its GDP contribution, a leading foreign exchange earner, and a major source of employment. The region still harbours enormous potential that is largely untapped. This is attributable mainly to the general lack of competitiveness in the sector. This session will provide an overview of the key competitiveness-related issues and discuss potential remedial policies. |
Presentation: An Overview of Tourism Competitiveness in Eastern Africa by Mr. Geoffrey Manyara, Economic Affairs Officer at ECA for Eastern Africa
Panel Discussion on Policies to Enhance the Competitiveness of the Tourism Sector
Moderator: Mr. George Ndirangu, News Anchor CNBC Africa - Ms. Carmen Nibigira, Coordinator at the East Africa Tourism Platform - M. Joseph Rwanshote, Programme Manager, Trade, Industry and Tourism, Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa (IGAD) - Ms. Jacinta Nzioka, Marketing Director, Kenya Tourism Board - Mr. Ousman Abdi Mohamed, Managing Director of Djibouti National Tourism Office - Mr. Sissay Getachew, Marketing Director, Ethiopian Tourism Organization
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13:00 – 14:00 |
| Lunch Break |
14:00 – 16:00 |
| Banking on Success? Leveraging the Banking Sector Better for Accelerated Structural Transformation
One of the major limiting factors for growth and structural transformation in the sub-region has been the lack of finance. Mainstream debates tend to focus almost exclusively on the issue of 'financial inclusion', at the expense of considering more deeply why the banking sector in Eastern Africa has not been more effective. The banking sector across the region has not been playing its role in terms of providing sufficient credit to the private sector and strategic industries. This session will discuss how the banking sector can be more closely aligned to national objectives of development and structural transformation. It will count on various experts to inform the discussions, and will look in particular at a number of case studies from the region (Kenya, Ethiopia), as well as drawing on international experience.
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Presentation: Leveraging the Banking Sector Better for Accelerated Structural Transformation - Dr. Radha Upadhyaya, Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Kenya
Panel Discussion on the Banking Sector for Accelerated Structural Transformation
Moderator: Mr. Laban-Cliff Onserio, Business Reporter at Nation Media Group-NTV - Dr. Imani Younoussa, Central Bank Governor of the Union of Comoros - Hon. Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune, Minister of State for Microfinance - Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Uganda - Mr. Andrew Mold - Officer-in-Charge, ECA in Eastern Africa - Prof. Thomas Kigabo, Chief Economist, National Bank of Rwanda
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16:00 - 16:15 |
| Coffee Break
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16:15 - 18:00 |
| Parallel Breakout Sessions |
Parallel Session I: Exchange Rate Regimes: Options and Policy Implications
In the context of large balance of payments’ deficits, regional economies suffer from an acute vulnerability to exchange rate fluctuations. Countries across the region have approached this challenge in different ways - some have adopted pegged exchange rates, others floating, and still others have opted for intermediate arrangements. This parallel session will discuss the macroeconomic consequences of different exchange rate regimes and how countries have coped with these challenges. Particular attention will be paid to plans in the East African Community (EAC) to establish a monetary union by 2024. | ||
Presentations by: - Prof. Thomas Kigabo, Chief Economist, National Bank of Rwanda - Mr. Pedro Martins, Economic Affairs Officer, ECA - Country experiences
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Parallel Session II: Catalysing Private Sector Development in Eastern Africa
One of the common characteristics of regional economies is the relative weakness of the private sector. In some senses, this is paradoxical – survey evidence suggests that East Africans are highly entrepreneurial. This session will explore this apparent paradox and discuss policies and measures that can be implemented to catalyse the private sector. Using information from business surveys, the session will identify the areas where reform would have the most impact. | ||
Presentations by: - Mr. Rodgers Mukwaya, Economic Affairs Officer, ECA in Eastern Africa - Dr. Herrington Mike, Executive Director, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor - Dr. Okumu Mike, Makerere University - Mr. Mounir Bakhressa, Managing Director - Bakhresa Grain Milling in Kigali, Rwanda
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19.00 - 21:00 |
| High Level Dinner Round Table
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Mobilising the Diaspora for Growth and Transformation of Eastern Africa
Moderator: Ms. Novella Nikwigize, News Presenter at Rwanda Broadcasting Agency
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19.00 - 19:50 |
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- H.E. Azali Assoumani, President of Union of the Comoros - Mr. Abdou Katibou, Director General of Comoros Investment Promotion Agency - Discussion of Country Experiences
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20:00 |
| Dinner |
12:30 – 13:30 |
| Lunch Break
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13:30 – 15:30 |
| Comoros: Strategies for an Emerging Economy (continued)
Part 2: Comoros Strategic Plan. The Government of the Union of Comoros will share the draft of the revised “Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy (SCA2D)”.
Presentation by: Mr. Ibrahim Abdourazak, Director of Planning at the General Planning Commissionof the Union of Comoros
Part 3: The Energy Sector, Driver of Growth and Sustainable Development Presentations on the outcome of the National Conference on Energy, the Comoros geothermal project and shared experiences by ECA on renewable energy investments.
Presentations by: - Ms. Farida Ahmed Karim, Renewable Energy Director, Union of Comoros - Mr. Karim Ali Ahmed, Programme officer, UNDP in the Union of Comoros - Mr. Yohannes Hailu, Economic Affairs Officer, ECA in Eastern Africa
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15:30 - 16:45 |
| Coffee Break
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16:45 – 17:15 |
| Review and Adoption of Moroni Communiqué |
17:15 – 17:45 |
| Closing Ceremony |