Eritrea opens markets

Sunday, 21st May, 2006
By Vision Reporter
THE Eritrea government has created a new free Port Zone facility along the Red Sea to enable Uganda and other countries in eastern and central Africa, exploit the Horn of Africa and Middle East markets. The ambitious multimillion-dollar investment at the newly expanded Massawa Port along the country’s 1,200km coastline, will allow in tax free goods. The zone has also been complimented by the newly constructed Massawa International Airport to connect Uganda through Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania. Tesfalem Gherahtu, the Eritrean Honorary Consul in Uganda, said on Friday that under the project, Ugandans visiting Eritrea would not pay visa fees. The Ugandan government has also waived off visa fees on Eritrean nationals. Gherahtu said under bilateral agreements, the volume of local coffee and cow ghee exports to Eritrea had grown in the past decade. “We are soon beginning international flights by Eritrean Airlines to Entebbe to promote business and cultural exchanges among our peoples. “This is a great opportunity for our business communities to explore,” he said. Gherahtu was speaking ahead of celebrations to mark Eritrean 15th Independence Day slated for May 24 in Kampala. He said Uganda has a lot to benefit from Eritrean industrial processing and service provision sectors. “ We are looking at mining, salt, oil exploitation, schools, hotels and other such facilities. Land for investment is given free of charge by our government, with tax holidays,” he noted.
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