The East African Community (EAC), through the East African Standards Committee (EASC), has officially launched the 2025 edition of the EAC Regional Quality Awards during its 27th Meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania.
This year’s awards will take place alongside the Annual EAC SME Trade Fair, a rotating event among EAC Partner States aimed at showcasing innovation, entrepreneurship, and market opportunities across the region.
Together, these two events aim to enhance the visibility of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), promote a culture of quality, and drive competitiveness for sustainable economic growth.
Speaking at the launch, EAC Secretary General, Hon. Veronica Nduva, highlighted the growing significance of the awards as a catalyst for transformation in the region’s business landscape.
“I am pleased to note that over 40 enterprises — small, medium, and large — from diverse sectors including services, have benefited from this competition,” said Hon. Nduva.
“I am happy to note the introduction of a new award category in agro-processing. Given that a large portion of our region’s GDP depends on agriculture, this is a timely step in promoting value chains, boosting agro-based exports, and supporting our vision for structural transformation,” she added.
The 2025 EAC Regional Quality Awards will feature five key categories:
-
EAC Product of the Year (for both Large Enterprises and SMEs)
-
EAC Company of the Year (for both Large Enterprises and SMEs)
-
EAC Service Awards (Public and Private Sector – for both Large Enterprises and SMEs)
-
EAC Exporter Awards (with a focus on the Agro-Processing Sector)
-
EAC Standardization Excellence Awards
The competition will begin at the national level, where National Standards Bodies (NSBs) will organize selection processes in partnership with the private sector and National Quality Associations. Winners from each country will then advance to the regional stage, where they will submit their entries to the EAC Secretariat for final evaluation.
The EASC is encouraging all stakeholders, especially SMEs, to actively participate in this year’s awards cycle to showcase their commitment to quality and innovation.
The competition is being supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC) through the EU-funded EU-EAC MARKUP II Programme, reaffirming the European Union’s commitment to strengthening trade, quality, and competitiveness across the East African region.
Following the success of the 2024 edition, the 2025 Awards are expected to set even higher benchmarks for quality and excellence among East African enterprises.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment