Let us streamline acquisition of Work and Residence Permits - EALA

Posted in Press Release

The Assembly is calling on the Partner States to commence the process of uniformly abolishing work and residence permit fees as well as in the facilitation of portability of social benefits. In the same vein, the Assembly is set to work jointly with regional advocacy bodies to engage in sensitisation and popularisation of the Common Market Protocol among other related issues.

Late yesterday, the Assembly debated and adopted the Report of the Committee on General Purpose on the petition to EALA regarding work/residence permits in the EAC for the citizens of the Partner States.

The Report presented by Hon. Dr Odette Nyiramilimo, Chair of the Committee indicates that a number of areas of co-operation and implementation of the Common Market Protocol remain in the remit of individual Partner States and thus, calls for advocacy to enable harmonisation at the regional level. The Committee further observes that the issue of portability of social benefits is key and undertakes to continue work with the East African Trade Union Confederation (EATUC) and the East African Employers Organisation (EAEO), who are drafting a Bill on the same.

The issue of portability of social benefits is already been discussed bilaterally among some Partner States. In addition, EALA is to formalise its engagement with the East African Business Council and other private sector players in the region. The Council is further requested to continuously develop interventions to enhance the business environment in the region and fast track development of policies and strategies on key issues to enhance implementation.

The said petition was presented to the EALA Speaker, Rt Hon. Daniel Fred Kidega by the East African Trade Union Confederation and the East African Employers Association in March 2015. The EATUC/EAEO has made 17 prayers in their request. Such include the harmonisation of the standards and processes of acquiring permits as well as the future amendment of Annex 2 of the Common Market Protocol to review the roadmap for free movement of workers given the fact that the current one ended in 2015.

The annex according to the petitioners should put in place a roadmap for the gradual implementation of free labour mobility which eventually comprises all sectors and all categories of blue and white collar workers. Furthermore, the petitioners want the new revised annex to put in place a tripartite mechanism (Employers, Trade Unions and Government) at the EAC level and should be administered at national level through the tripartite fora. The petitioners also want the standardisation of the process of the work permits and the eventual removal of the permits.

At debate time, Hon. Martin Ngoga called for the harmonisation of the procedures of acquiring permits while Hon. Susan Nakawuki said Partner States should not be seen to be introducing barriers that hamper process of acquisition of the permits. Hon. Dr James Ndahiro remarked that though the Common Market Protocol had many benefits, citizens of the region continued to face a myriad of challenges. He remarked that it was necessary for EAC Partner States to prioritise integration.

“Integration seems to be taking second place in some of our Partner States. We need to prioritise it so we do not waste the meagre resources”, the legislator remarked.

Hon. Dora Byamukama congratulated the Secretary-General of the Community for introducing the EAC Scorecard on the Common Market Protocol remarking that it enabled the region to take stock of the on-going developments. The legislator called for the speedy harmonisation of the student visa fees across board as a way of introducing equal opportunities.

Hon. Christophe Bazivamo remarked that in the Republic of Rwanda, it took 3 days to process and issue a permit and about 12 hours to register a company. Furthermore, the work permit fees for East Africans has been abolished.

“If the costs of issuing permits is high, it is not developmental. It stops people from coming to work, to invest and to develop”, he added. Hon. Abdullah Mwinyi urged the Partner States to adhere to the Protocol and to the principle of non-discrimination of EAC citizens when it comes to enjoying privileges.

On his part, Hon. Chris Opoka said it was vital for Partner States to analyse the percentage of revenues earned from work permits vis-a-vis what investment realised from the opportunities created would bring. It costs USD 3000 for a work permit in some of the Partner States which is high compared to say USD 155 in a developed country like Canada”, he said. “If it is about revenue, we can earn much more if people work and they get taxed”, he added.

Hon. Shyrose Bhanji urged the Partner States to take advantage of opportunities of the Common Market Protocol. “I wonder how many Tanzanians, for example, have taken advantage of the opportunities to teach the Kiswahili language in the Partner States”, she said.

“We should popularise, disseminate and educate people on the Common Market Protocol so that more and more people embrace the labour mobility”, she added. The legislator thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta who in 2014, invited the entire EALA to visit the Republic of Kenya to undertake a sensitisation tour.

Others who supported the report were Hon. Valerie Nyirahabineza, Hon. Peter Mathuki, Hon. Bernard Mulengani and Hon. Nancy Abisai. The Minister for EAC, Uganda, Hon. Shem Bageine said the Council was committed to addressing all outstanding issues with regards to the Common Market Protocol and said Partner States had identified laws in the Partner States which need to comply to the EAC Laws. Hon. Phyllis Kandie, Cabinet Secretary for Labour, Social Benefits and EAC Affairs, Republic of Kenya said her country was committed to fully implementing the Protocol. Similar sentiments were shared by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Hon. Dr Susan Kolimba.

EAEO, with a potential outreach of over 8500 companies and business entities, has also 100 associations and affiliates while the EATUC represents more than 2.5 million workers organised in unions affiliated to the national trade union centres, the regional apex bodies for employers’ organisations and national trade union centres across the EAC.

EAC to benefit from USAID Regional Strategic Plan 2016-2022

Posted in Press Release

Ms Candace Buzzard, the new Deputy Mission Director of Kenya and East Africa for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) paid a courtesy visit to EAC‘s Secretary-General, Amb. Dr Richard Sezibera at the EAC Headquarters. She was accompanied by Mr Matt Rees, Deputy for Trade Africa, Mr Donald Keene, Resident Legal Officer and Ms Cristina Olive, Office Director, Strategic Planning and Analysis.

In receiving the Deputy Mission Director, Dr Sezibera thanked USAID for its continued support and strong partnership. Reiterating on the importance of regional integration as a means to access regional markets and gain competition advantages in efficiency and productivity outputs, Dr Sezibera said, “these elements can only be realised by having no restrictions on the movement of goods, services, labour and capital within the East Africa“.

The visit constituted of a presentation of the draft USAID Regional Strategic Plan 2016-2022 to the Secretary-General, and dialogue on ways in which the two organisations can align their key priorities for the next five years.

USAID’s five-year strategic plan will focus on increased trade, investment and food security; health services and systems for marginalised and vulnerable populations; increased security of populations vulnerable to regional threats; and, strengthening East African institutions’ leadership and learning.

Ms Buzzard acknowledged the efforts that the Community has made for some of the region‘s most remote regions to access trade, adding that “this has not only promoted prosperity in those regions, but has also delivered better livelihoods to their communities, thus putting EAC in the forefront as a model for Integration“.