Writes Leo Odera Omolo
In order to demonstrate its total commitment to the regional economic cooperation, the Tanzania government has established an East African Community desk in all its 142 outlaying administrative districts across the country to inform its citizens on the existing opportunities in the regional bloc.
According to information emerging from Arusha based secretariat of the EAC, the desks will be manned by state officers an will have sufficient information about trade and investment, policies, immigration, taxation and regulatory frameworks I each of the five member country.
The Tanzanian Minister or the East African Community Affairs Samuel Sitta, the decision the decision was taken after the government learnt that the majority of citizens know very little about the bloc.
‘Each local council will have an EAC desk manned by competent people with crucial information on new developments in the regional bloc,” Minister Sitta said when this when met with member of the East African Business Community and local leaders at Halili border town last week.
The Minister said the campaign would be implemented by the government in collaboration with Trade Mark East Africa [TMEA} a non-profit making organization.
He explained that each desk officer will have a lap-top with all the necessary information that will meet the demand of opportunity seekers and queries by member of the public on various aspects of EAC integration including education and banks.
“The desks will also have newsletters, brochures and other documents with vital information about the operations and functions of the EAC,’ he said.
Lack of information on available business opportunity in the region has seen farmers incur loses on gains, which could have been sold in countries experiencing food deficit.
‘Farmers in the Southern Highland regions of Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma and Rukwa often produce surplus food that could be sold to the EAC member countries, some o which are experiencing perennial acute shortage of food gains,” said the Minister.
He added, ” Very few Tanzanians know about the EAC and its potential for doing business’, lamented Allan Nswila at a consultant at a forum organized recently in Arusha by the business community.
It was noted that cross border traders consult the East African Business Council on opportunity in the region.
Sitta met with Kenyan counterpart Musa Sirma in Taveta Town which stands on the bored to Kenya and Tanzania to address the traders on trade barriers between the two the countries.
The Tanzanian Minister and his Kenyan colleague also discussed how to implement the Common Market Protocol and fast track the movement of goods,
ends