East African Community opens up 2010
The East African Community (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organisation of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Burundi with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC aims at widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in, among others, political, economic and social fields for their mutual benefit. To this extent the EAC countries established a Customs Union in 2005 and are working towards the establishment of a Common Market by 2010, subsequently a Monetary Union by 2012 and ultimately a Political Federation of the East African States.
The regional integration process is at a high pitch at the moment. East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol that paved way for the free movement of goods, labour and capital becomes operational starting July 1, 2010.
To this effect the Heads of State of the EAC member states have directed the council of Ministers to oversee and approve institutional arrangements that will support the management of the Common Market. They also urged the partner states to ensure that the protocol is ratified quickly in order for it to become operational starting July 1, 2010. This was said by the EAC Communications Officer, Richard Owora.
Richard Owora said the leaders took note of the progress in the consolidation of the East African Community Customs Union and approved the review of chapter 40 of the common external tariff (CET) by deleting the additional note on tyres that read, “For the purpose of HS Code 4011 20.00, tyres of a kind used on buses or lorries shall be having a rim size of 17 inches and above.”.
They approved the review of the common external tariff and rules of origin but on condition that the council of Ministers report to the summit on decisions taken on any of the approved reviews. During the summit held in Arusha, Tanzania on November 20th, they also directed the Council of Ministers to fast track the establishment of a monetary union following the coming into operation of the common market.
The free trade area is expected to become operational by December 2010 after the proposal has been fine tuned at a conference to be held in March and later signed by the Presidents in April.
