– Diplomats review performance, praise “increasingly dynamic and achieving” East African Community –
By Leo Odera Omolo
: The Annual Meeting of the EAC Partnership Fund was held in Arusha on 3 November 2008. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb Juma Mwapachu. It was attended by senior officials of EAC and the representatives of Belgium ,
Finland ,
France , Federal Republic of Germany,
Ireland , Japan ,
Norway ,
Sweden , Canada ,
Republic of Korea ,
United Kingdom ,
European Commission and the World Bank, SIDA, GTZ, DFID and CIDA who are participating in the EAC Partnership Fund. The meeting reviewed the performance of the EAC Partnership Fund since its commencement of operations in July 2006.
The EAC Partnership Fund was established in 2006 to rationalize the use, and improve the co-ordination and accounting of the development partners’ resources earmarked for support of the East African Community’s priority programmes. Since the establishment of the Fund, the identification of the programmes, the implementation and accounting of projects has benefited from the application of clear guidelines apportioning roles and responsibilities to the development partners on the one hand and the East African Community on the other.
Secretary General satisfied at performance of Partnership Fund
Addressing the opening session of the Meeting the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Juma Mwapachu said the review was necessary to enable the parties of the Partnership Fund to have a clearer appreciation of the impact, achievements and any shortcomings of the Fund. He said the review of the Fund’s performance would lead to a mutual understanding on how to improve the Fund’s systems and operations and renew commitment to the EAC development partnership.
The Secretary General noted that with the initial disbursement of contributions amounting to 645,000 USD to start off the Fund in FY 2007/08, the resources of the Fund rose to USD 1.9 million during the same Financial Year when the development partners increased their contributions.
The main activities and projects that were supported during this first phase of the implementation of the Fund included the ongoing negotiations of the Protocol on the EAC Common Market , various activities of Fast Tracking the integration of Rwanda and Burundi, Capacity Building for the EAC Secretariat ; and support to key Studies and consultancies. The expenditure rate of 93.6% was realized during that Financial Year.
The Secretary General expressed satisfaction at the performance of the Fund; and thanked the development partners for their sustained robust support of the Fund. He said that partly on account of the good expenditure performance, but also due to the demands of the expanding regional programme, the development partners had been willing to increase their contributions to the Fund. In the current 2008/09 FY, the development partners have committed USD 7.7 million under the Partnership Fund.
Apart from the Partnership Fund programmes, the development partners are supporting various projects and programmes outside the Partnership Fund, in particular, the EAC programmes under the 10th EDF (European Development Fund), covering Infrastructure Programmes; Political Integration; Natural Resources Development and Food Security; as well as projects under the Regional Integration Support Programme (RISP) which would focus on the consolidation of the EAC Customs Union; conclusion of negotiations and implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol; the EPA implementation and monitoring; laying the foundation for the formation of EAC Monetary Union; enhancing Private-Public-Partnership ; and Institutional development of the EAC Secretariat , Organs and Institutions.
EAC-development partners relations based on mutual benefit, respect and trust
Among the highlights of the ongoing development partners’ resources mobilization and utilization in the immediate past period have been: the support by Germany to the EAC Headquarters construction with a grant of 14 million Euros, in addition to the various supports through the GTZ programme and contribution to the Partnership Fund; the support by the World Bank to the Lake Victoria Basin Commission of USD 200,000 ; and the support by SIDA to the regional HIV-AIDS Programme of Swedish Kronor 27,500,000 for five years.
Also on stream are Finland’s commitment of 1.5 million Euros out of which 1 million Euros has been deposited in the Partnership Fund Account; Denmark’s disbursement of USD 1.5 million, not to mention Germany, Norway and Sweden for their contributions in the past two years; the EU support in various programmes under RISP, Regional Information Technology Support Programme ( RICTSP ) and Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (CPMR) ; the commitment of support by DFID for various programmes that is at an advanced stage of conclusion; and the arrival of New Members, with Belgium and France set to sign their MOUs with EAC; while the governments of Holland and Ireland are in the process of finalizing documentations for joining the Partnership Fund.
The Secretary General said the EAC development partnership has been carefully nurtured over the years between the EAC and its development partners and has reached a high point of maturity. He said that the evolution of fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship between EAC and its development partners has been deliberate within the context of the common pursuit of a principled economic partnership of mutual concern, mutual benefit, mutual trust and mutual respect.
He said the EAC was committed to strengthening the coordination and harmonization mechanism of the Partnership Fund and that, to this extent, every close attention would be paid to strengthening the EAC Projects Implementation Unit with a view to increasing its capacity to monitor, implement and effectively report on the supported projects and programmes.
EU Head of Delegation lauds increasingly visible, efficient EAC
Speaking on behalf of the development partners, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Tanzania , Ambassador Tim Clarke commended the EAC for its increasingly dynamic posture. He said the EAC was becoming more visible, efficient and effective and its value and impact was being felt and widely appreciated by the people. He said the increased contributions to the Partnership Fund as well as growth in the membership of the Fund was indicative of the recognition of the importance and great potential of the Partnership Fund as a key contributor to the realization of EAC’s development objectives.
Amb. Clarke said the EAC had entered a definitive phase of deepening integration with the ongoing negotiations of the Common Market and the EPAs, the process of the Tripartite – EAC, SADC and COMESA – Arrangement; and the overall enlargement of the Community with the integration of Rwanda and Burundi . He said these developments had generated great interest, lively debate and discourse in the regional media about the EAC which demonstrated health y interest in EAC affairs and growing popular appreciation of the importance of the regional organization.
endsleooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 04:59:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: EAC EARNS KUDOS FROM GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS