AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands government is all set to fund US $1.2 million projects in Kenya to help boost the export of Kenya’s IT and IT-enabled services (ITES).
The funding of the IT projects is part of two new projects totalling to US $2.2 million in both the IT and Horticulture sectors.
The Netherlands is also injecting US $1 million in an avocado export-promotion project. This two projects are set to run concurrently through to 2017.
The projects are funded by the Dutch Government’s Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) as part of the ITC-managed Netherlands Trust Fund (III) programme. ITC will implement in co-operation with local partners.
The projects are set to be launched today by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and aims at boosting the export of avocado and the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITES) in Kenya.
The project takes a look at all the drivers of competitiveness in the sector,” said Anders Aeroe, ITC’s Director for Market Development. “It builds the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] in the export sector and farmer groups, helping them to create long term business linkages and technical partnerships to strengthen trade opportunities.”
With CBI injecting US $1.2 million into Kenya’s information technology (IT) & IT enabled services (ITES) sectors, the project will focus 30 local companies, helping them to establish business networks to diversify their export markets. In order to promote women in the IT sector, women-led enterprises will be given special emphasis in project activities. ITC will collaborate with two local partners, the Kenya IT Outsourcing Services (KITOS) and the ICT Authority (ICTA).
