Deloitte Representative Mr. Kedrock William Visited COMESA-LLPI on March 26th, 2014. This constitutes a follow-up of Mr. Keith C. Molkner, Director of Deloitte, visit to LLPI that took place on 22nd of January 2014.

According to the Contract Agreement signed between LLPI and the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI), trainings were conducted in two centers for a total of 40 training participants. In Blantyre at MCCCI Trade Fair Grounds 20 SMEs were trained during period 20th – 31st January 2014 and also in Lilongwe Vas Cottage 20 SMEs were trained during the period 26th February-12th march 2014.

The COMESA/LLPI Expert Team composed of Prof. Mekonnen Hailemariam, Leather Value Chain Expert at COMESA/LLPI and Mr. Alfredo Martinelli, a renowned footwear consultant from Italy, conducted Service Centers  Assessment  for  Leather Industry in five COMESA countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe from February  9 to 28, 2014.

COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA-LLPI) co-sponsored and co-organized the 7th Edition of All Africa Leather Fair, 2014 conducted at the Millennium Hall Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The COMESA/LLPI in its endeavor to transform the COMESA leather value chain is leaving no stone unturned and is engaging all relevant stakeholders nationally, regionally and internationally to develop robust programs that would spur growth of the sector.

Nicholas Mudungwe, who is a Cluster Development Expert, has enrolled for a course on Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development, which covers the following topics: Standards, Technical Regulations and related Quality and Trade Topics. This is a blended course, which include online and face to face interaction.

The COMESA-Leather and Leather Products Institute sponsored training of SMEs in footwear designing was successfully conducted at the  Training Common Facility Centre, in Kampala Uganda from 27 November 2013 to 31 January 2014 in collaboration with Footwear and Leather goods manufacturers and Exporters Association of Uganda(FLEMEA).

The 8th Regional Leather Sector Core Team Meeting was held at the Hotel African Ltd, Kampala, Uganda from  29th to 30th January 2014.

In fulfillment of its mandate of enhancing the development of leather industries in the COMESA region, the Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA/LLPI) in collaboration with the COMESA Secretariat, constituted a Business Mission to India and Turkey, both leading countries in the leather sector globally, seeking to bench mark with and learn from their key success industry performers and the development of partnerships.

Mr. Keith C. Molkner, Director of Deloitte Consulting LLP, Visited COMESA-LLPI on January 22, 2014, and discussed with Dr. Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, Executive Director and Experts' Team of COMESA-LLPI on various issues concerning institutional cooperation and collaboration for the development of the COMESA Region leather sector.