Africa-Press – Lesotho. The government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Trade and Industry will officially hand over a market centre worth $2million to Tikoe Industrial Estate on March 9, 2018.
According to a press statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday, the above funding has been received under the auspices of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), an initiative by World Trade Organization.
Five other core agencies are; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Trade Centre and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development which provides financial and technical assistance to build trade capacity in the Least Developed Countries (LDC) such as Lesotho.
“Agricultural Productivity and Trade Development project (APTD) was prepared in 2013 with technical assistance by International Trade Centre and submitted to EIF Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland for funding,” reads a statement.
According to the ministry, one of the components of the APTD project was the establishment of a market centre that will manage an inclusive supply chain services linking producers of fresh fruits and vegetables to domestic and international markets.
“In December 2016, LNDC leased out a factory shell at Tikoe Industrial Estate to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to set up a market centre.
Modern and comprehensive equipment for storage, processing, packaging and distribution of produce from farmers of fresh fruits and vegetables to buyers was installed and successfully commissioned,” it states.
It further indicates that the intention is for the centre to be run by a private operator and the Lesotho National Development Cooperation (LNDC) which is an investment promotion arm of the government.
“LNDC will take a lead in sourcing out a private operator to run the Centre.
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The handover ceremony will be graced with the presence of the Right Honorable the Prime Minister Dr Thomas Thabane and other high ranking officers from EIF and ITC.
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