AN IMPORTAN ECONOMIC FORUM BETWEEN EAST AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN MPS AND THE PARTICIPATION BY MAJOR WESTERN INVESTORS IS SLATED FOR DAR ES SALAM NEXT WEEK.
Economic News By LeoOdera Omolo
The Tananian capital of Dar Es Salaam will be the beehives of activities next week when parliamentarian from the East African Community members states meet with the their European Union counterparts in an important two day economic forum .
Other participants will be the major investors from Western European countries, business leaders and policy as well as decision makers who will sit together to discuss regional integration in preparation of the planned Common Market for the region.
In this important seminar slated for June 15 and 16,the participants will also discuss the issues related to the build up of the East African Common Market.
Organized jointly by the East African Legislative Assembly, and the East African Business Council and the European Parliamentarians for Africa [AWEPA}, the seminar will scrutinize and examine the related themes of agriculture and the impact of climate change..
Regional seminars involving the private sector and focusing on sensitizing parliamentarians on the need to stimulate an environment conducive to business and investment were last held by EALA and AWEPA in Arusha in 2996 and in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi in 2007.
As East African moves towards the establishment of a common market, delegates to the next week’s Dar Es Salaam meeting will also be able to draw on the experience of Fernando Matos Rosa,the Secretary General of the Brussels based European Business Council for Africa and Mediterranean[EBCAM}. This organization represents the interests of over 4,000 mainly private sector companies, across the European Union[EU},all of which are involved in Africa.
· The meeting in Dar Es Salaam will also be addressed by Omar Issa, Chief Executive of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa [ICF}, a mufti-million dollar initiative with private sector support.ICF was established on the recommendation of the Tony Blaire led Commission for Africa in 2005..
A key strategic theme for the ICF, which includes simplifying administration in order to facilitate cross-border trade, This area remains continuing concern for business in the East African region.
“here are major problems ,Intra-community trade is not working as it should. The free movement of goods . across borders often thwarted .Privatization of the railways system has not progressed, with the result that landlocked countries like Rwanda has to pay far more than it should for the cost of its imports,” said one leading businessman in Nairobi..
The Kenyan businessman cited availability and cost of power as major constraint, caused partly by declining levels of water..This latter situation is believed by many as being liked to the onset of climate change to the region, including erratic rainfall patterns which are already causing hardship for farming communities and problems for agriculture in general.
Africa’s common position on climate change, adopted by Africa’s environment Ministers in Nairobi on
May 29, will be set out at the seminar, along with the need mainstream climate change adaptation measures into national and regional development plans, policies and strategies.
“The Western world bears the largest responsibility for the causes of climate change,” says AWEPA
Secretary General Par Granastedt, and Africa suffer the worst consequences.”
At the end of the seminar,, Parliamentarians, will emerge better informed on key subjects such as harmonizing legislation and proposals in support of the new East African Common Market.
Similarily,they should be better prepared to tackle the impediments that prevent private sector growth and investment in theregion.They should also be ready to address legislation and policy options for climate change adaptation in the face of this growing environmental challenge.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
– – –
Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 16:55:02 -0700 [06/08/2009 06:55:02 PM CDT]
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAR NEXT WEEK FOR AFRICAN MP AND EU