To be competitive on the international market, the Private Sector in Rwanda wants support from the European Union.

Meeting at Kigali Serena recently, the private sector proposed that the team negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union consider their concerns.

The entrepreneurs are worried that they may not be competitive enough on the EU market with the current poor infrastructure; untrained entrepreneurs coupled with financial constraints.

Their concerns come at a time the East African Community and the European Union (EU) are to start negotiations that may ease trade between the two blocs next year.

And already the EAC has signed an interim agreement on key aspects of EPAs with the EU, to beat the December 31 deadline.

The private sector has also asked the negotiating team to come-up with improved and simplified rules of origin, source of raw materials to ease the flow goods and services between the two blocs.

They argue the current ones are stringent and slow business between Europe and Africa.  John Bosco Kanyangoga, a trade expert in the PSF proposed that the negotiating team should push for African experts be allowed to compete with Europeans.

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