Category: BUSINESS

In the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted not just the ability of companies to commit to innovation and new initiatives, but also work practices for the majority of their staff. Subsequent lockdowns have led to many businesses having to be staffed remotely, as well as being able to provide employees with the technological and human support they need to be at their best during these incredibly trying times.

Over 2020 and 2021, a driving need emerged seeing employee collaboration and innovation remain central to business needs. At the same time company workforces – having had to work remotely for vast periods in the last two years – now desire more flexibility when it comes to their working environment and the periods during which they work.

Gartner’s research has found that 71% of human resources leaders were increasingly focused on employee collaboration in 2021. This is likely to be a major initiative going forward in the coming year.

On top of these concerns, 2020 and 2021 gave rise to a massive and deepening skills crisis, which has been dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’. The last two years have seen employees leave jobs in their droves; the Harvard Business Review reveals that four million Americans left their jobs in July 2021 alone – a trend reflected in statistics across the UK and Europe, and that is unlikely to bypass Kenya.

Many factors are contributing to this massive loss of skilled employees from the job market, but key among them is the lack of support from employers and inflexibility when it comes to their working conditions.

To wit, more employees than ever before desire the right to choose when and where they work, how they work, and more support from employers with regards to tools and technology to make their working experience as collaborative with management as possible.

The Hybrid Working Environment

All of this has given rise to what has been dubbed the ‘Hybrid Working Environment’ model. At the surface level, this is a combination of remote and office working, which allows most employees the ability to better collaborate with management on which environment compliments their work styles and aids them to best deliver on key performance indicators (KPI’s).

In many instances it can be beneficial to adopt the Hybrid Working Environment model – companies can save on costs on office space (or indeed, rent out that space they own), the workforce is more nimble and easier to be deployed as and where it’s needed, and it compliments employee personality types on a wider scale, allowing them to thrive in less constrictive environments.

The overarching theme during the Microsoft 365 Summit emphasized that companies that adopt such interventions will have a significant impact on who stays, who leaves, and who seeks to join different teams. Ultimately, companies must approach the next phase of work carefully.

Cloud Voice

That having been said, the Hybrid Working Environment model is not a simple transition and needs investment and, in many instances, requires companies to pivot completely from traditional working practices.

Key among these is the need for connectivity and communication platforms that complement digital and remote working. Processes, technology, and business solutions need to be put in place to ensure productivity in an agile, digital environment. To that end, many businesses can look for a Cloud Voice platform that can provide a cost-effective and reliable solution to complement a Hybrid Working Environment.

At its core, Cloud Voice is designed not only to empower diversity and inclusion in the workforce, but to move away from the business requirement of hardware and installation – an absolute must in the new era where office-bound working is becoming less of a priority and, in some instances, obsolete altogether. Cloud Voice brings a business’s voice, video meeting, and messaging tools together in one portal, which is flexible and can be scaled to each company’s needs.

Cloud-based unified communications platforms offer companies significant cost benefits, particularly in Africa. Compared to the heavy costs of traditional telephony systems, service providers, and contract durations, Cloud Voice is month-to-month, has a clear cost breakdown, doesn’t demand extensive infrastructure investment.

A New Way of Working

As businesses move forward in 2022, the Hybrid Working Environment has already replaced many traditional working practices. Unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platforms have already removed the hardware and expensive long-term contracts and could very well spell the end of in-house service provisions.

Above all else, it’s placed a premium on employee needs, promoting a nimble, remote environment in which management caters to the needs of its workforce in terms of hardware, skills, and satisfaction.

Monday, 24th January 2022, Malaba, Uganda: Speaking at the EABC-TMEA public-private dialogue at Malaba One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), Mr. Abel Kagumire Commissioner of Customs Uganda Revenue Authority assured the East African Business Council (EABC) that the backlog of trucks at Malaba OSBP will be cleared and normalcy will return by Wednesday 26th January 2022.

He stated that the backlog of 4000 trucks has been reduced to 2500 trucks and the traffic queue has been reduced from 40KM to 25KMs following the implementation of the resolutions for the bilateral meeting between the Ministers of Works and Transport of the Republics of Uganda and Kenya held on Saturday 22nd January 2022.

Mr. John Bosco Kalisa, EABC CEO said “In future solution to NTBs should be derived without waiting for Ministerial and Head of State decisions” He called for the formation of Responsive Border Committee to quickly resolve future trade bottlenecks and NTBs to reduce the cost of doing cross border trade.

He called for a borderless East Africa for free flow of cargo. He further urged for closer collaboration among transporters, importers, exporters, cross-border traders, customs, immigration and other trade facilitation agencies on both sides of Uganda and Kenya.

Mr. Matia Etedu from the Ministry of EAC Affairs Uganda appreciated and called more public private dialogue to facilitate cross border trade in region and beyond as the EAC bloc will soon commence trading under African Continental Free Trade Area.

Mr. Charles Omusana, Principal Economist (Investment & Private Sector Promotion), EAC  Secretariat urged for a regional coordinated approach and innovative solutions to tackle Non-Tariff Barriers amid the pandemic for quick economic recovery and growth. “80% of cargo destined to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan from the Port of Mombasa pass via the Malaba OSBP,” said John Changole, Manager of Customs Kenya Revenue Authority Malaba OSBP Kenya.
On average the Malaba OSBP clears 1500 trucks per day.

Amwanga Dinah, Chairperson of Malaba Cross Border Traders Cooperative Society Kenya said lack of structured policy engagement between women cross border traders and border agencies, low level of knowledge on customs procedures, police harassment and un-harmonized COVDI- 19 measures are among challenges facing women cross border traders.

On her part, Chairperson Melisa Omuma of Malaba Women Cross Border Traders Cooperative Uganda said that lack of a market facility, narrow pedestrian passages at the border, corruption on accessing the EAC Simplified Trade Regime also hinder women to trade. Mr. Simon Omondi of Kenya Transport Association stated that inadequate parking area and incomplete and narrow road causes delay in scanning of goods a process taking up to 10-15 minutes.

Chairperson Kennedy Osiya of Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) stated that there are no police deployed to protect drivers and cargo despite the long queue of trucks and appealed for a vaccination station for drivers to be set up at the border.

Leaders of Clearing & Forwarding Associations called for exemption of customs rent for importation of bulk products exceeding 21 days at the port of Mombasa.

Mr. Juma Wakhungu urged the women cross border traders to always report all corruption matters to the Manager of OSBP for quick resolution and to participate in the Joint Border Committee Meetings.

Regional Coordinator in Charge of Kenya Revenue Authority Western Part of Kenya, Ms. Pamela Hago said, the Government of Kenya is committed to implement the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement and have engaged the Kenya National Highway Authority to quickly finalize the road to the scanner at the OSBP to hasten movement of cargo.

Mr. Martin Makokha of Kenya Bureau Of Standards (KEBS) urged the traders to utilize the online catalogue of East African Harmonized Standards to avoid standards related barriers to trade. Mr. Stanley Elongi elaborated on the role of Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and noted that fees and charges related to plants import and exportation in the EAC should be harmonized.

Mr. Emile Sinzumusi of Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Corridor Authority called for a
green channel for Authorized Economic Operators, pre-arrival processing of cargo, interlinkage
of northern and central corridor to reduce congestion at the borders.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Kalisa, EABC CEO called for special trade information desk for women small scale traders, Mutual Recognition of COVID-19 test and vaccine certificate via the EAC Pass, use of Regional Electronic Cargo and Truck Drivers Systems (RECDTS) and Regular holding of joint border management committee meeting at the borders.

The EABC-TMEA public-private dialogue at Malaba OSBP attracted over 65 delegates composed of trade facilitation agencies, importers, exporters, transporters and women cross border traders.