Nakuru Governor Ms. Susan Kihika has assured the business community that her government is determined to improve the ease of doing business in the county and to make the city the most preferred business center.
Speaking on her behalf today, the County Resource Mobilization Department Chief Officer Pastor Alex Maina assured the business community of their commitment characterized by business compatibility and an open door policy.
Speaking at the same event, the Belgium Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Jerome Roax who was the chief guest lauded the county government for their continuous improvement of the straightforwardness and ease of doing business in the county.
He promised to bring a group of investors to the city in October with the view of marketing local agricultural products in Europe as well as partnering with the resident business community.
In the recent past, there has been an influx of foreign exhibitions from Egypt and India, where they exhibit and sell their products at strategic places in the city.
However, during such exhibitions, the local producers and manufacturers hardly get a chance to showcase the local products to foreign exhibitors, nor is it easy to enter their countries due to stringent requirements.
A businessman in the city, Mr.. Philomen Aroni, appealed to the county officers to allow locals to also exhibit their products in foreign countries in order to market themselves.
He noted with concern that there was a high influx of locally available herbs such as Moringa which are taken abroad in raw form and are shipped back as tablets sold at exorbitant prices.
Aroni emphasized the importance of proper packaging and branding in order to penetrate the lucrative foreign markets.
However, he commended the young business people who have managed to market and sell their artwork through the internet, and urged them to train farmers, especially cereal producers, since they have a longer shelf life.
By Veronica Bosibori
