Writes Leo Odera Omolo.
ENERGY shortage and poor road, air and water transport will be the key agenda at a crucial East African Community meeting schedule for next month.
The EAC 4th development strategy meeting will also discuss food shortage agriculture, industry, manufacturing and tourism.
A draft, seen as the most ambitious of all plans by the bloc also aims to transform the master plans I key productive areas in action.
Information emerging from the Arusha based secretariat of the EAC says the Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera while addressing Minister for the Community affairs from the five member state last week disclosed that the would place major focus on the development of Lake Victoria basin as well as rich farmland and fishing shores of Lake Tanganyika.
“The successful implementation of the strategy {2011-2016} shall stimulate investments, promote employment and growth and, on the whole lead to increased diversification and major transformation of the region’s economy,” Dr Sezibera pointed out.
The last week meeting considered he progress made by the regional bloc in the statistics sector to facilitate planning and decision making. It was decided that from now on, the region should consider observing the Africa Statistics Day on November 18 of every year.
The Community ministers further noted that progress was being made on the establishment and maintenance of a web-based statistics database and the program on harmonization of statistics in priority areas.
Addressing, the meeting which was held at the Arusha International Conference Center {AICC}, chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers Ms Hafsa Mossi decried the slow pace of integration.
“We must own up to the fact that our region is not yet cohesive for integrative enough”
Ms Mossi who is Burundi’s Minister for the EAC Affairs, said despite indicators of stable economic growth, the Eastern African region was still riddled with serious problems, citing the raging famine in Kenya and the horn of Africa, the problems of piracy in the Indian Ocean, the terrorist infiltration and threats posed by Somalia and the “energy deficit, which has intensified”.
The Minister went on” It is in times of crisis that regional integration is best tested and it is in the ways and means by which we stand together and forestall or roll back such crises that we should give true meaning and justification of belonging together in a regional bloc.” He said.
Ends