Report by Leo Odera Omolo
Last week events at the East African community meeting in the Ugandan capital ,Kampala show that Uganda was willing to propose a comprise that allows partner states to continue applying national cases over land issues rights so that the issue does not bring down progress in the integration agenda.
The minister also had to field common ground on the other theory issues such as safeguard measures and subject of trade imbalance.
The EAC’s Deputy Secretary General Julius Onen, who is in charge of Special Programme and Projects, says that the bloc can handle these practically considering that the region was a beneficiary of USD 102.2 million compensation Fund under the 9th European Development Fund to steady the operationalisation of the common market for East and Southern Africa’s Free Trade Area and the EAC customs union.
However, no country has so far accessed their funds because no partner states has provided proof of any negative impact on their economies in event that any EAC partner states suffered shocks due to the common market, the secretariat can call in such compensation measures.
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But more significantly ,The Kampala meeting agreed on a road map that will put in place the required instruments as the region moves to establish free movement of factors of production by January next year.
The council of Ministers also agreed on all the fair freedoms – movement of
Goods, persons and capital, as well as aspects of the right to establishment and residence
The adopted roadman as the date by which implementation instruments must be in place a though it deters others to December 2010 and 2011.
Critical instruments on free movement of goods and persons sections under free
movement of labour and right of establishment free movement of services, capital and even safeguard measures are among those that must be in place by October this year.
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Disagreement aside the common market protocol concludes the second stage of east Africa’s integration process after the customs union that was launched in 2005 in its pioneer partner states Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda..
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The regional bloc has since opened up to include Rwanda and Burundi admitted in 2007 to create a single market of 120 million people across the region..
While the customs union allows the region to trade easily ,it is arranged that a common market protocol is the single document for the people of East Africa since it would ideally grant access the right to hand ,to residence and employment any where within the bloc one dynamic market.
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“Our people have been moving, residing and marrying freely across the borders .We should not allow legal niceties contradictions to deter us from the aspirations of the ordinary East Africans who are looking forward to an easier and freedom as citizens of the community.”
After the common market the next stage of integration is the monetary union and finally a political federation by 2013.
It remains to be seen though whether disagreements in these early phases would set the stage for a full political concern or ruin it
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:03:04 -0700 [04/15/2009 07:03:04 AM CDT]
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY NOW MOVES AHEAD TO IMPROVE TRADE AMONG MEMBERS COUNTRIES