Posted in Press Release
As the clock on the timeframe for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ticks away, the regional Assembly is gearing up to take a more central role in the implementation of the Post 2015 Development Agenda through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
EALA Members have today commenced on a two day sensitisation workshop on promoting SDGs with a mantra to ensure the region realises the set objectives of reducing poverty, achieving food security and enhancing gender equality amongst other development initiatives.
Addressing the legislators, EALA Speaker, Rt Hon. Daniel F. Kidega maintained that Parliaments had a fundamental role to play in ensuring implementation of the SDGs.
“We must take a more prominent role in ensuring full realisation of the SDGs. I can guarantee you that the fate of the SDGs will be equally sealed if Parliaments do not enact their own action plans and take up the mantle on some of the relevant areas to their mandate”, Rt Hon. Kidega said.
The theme of the workshop is the “Role of EALA in implementing the SDGs: Promoting peaceful and inclusive Societies for Sustainable Development”.
The two day meeting brings together Members of EALA and resource persons from institutions working round the clock to ensure Africa’s concerns are taken on board fully when SDGs are rolled out.
The institutions are Society for International Development, Africa Platform and the Institute for Economic Affairs. Its objectives include updating the Assembly on the status and details of MDGs and the post 2015 plus 2063 and the Vision of the EAC.
The meeting also analyses performance at the EAC level, hindrances and challenges learnt from MDGs while focusing on EALA mandate in promoting good governance, transparency and accountability.
The sensitisation workshop is also to explore strategies to ensuring the Global Development Framework (Post 2015 Development Agenda) is implemented and realised.
The Speaker said that EALA would hold Partner States accountable and enhance its oversight role in the dispensation.
“For example, on legislation, can we check if each of our Partner States have enacted laws in the areas on SDGs? If the laws are in place, are they being implemented? Has the public been sensitised about these laws? How much have we budgeted for the effective implementation of laws?”
He noted that it was important for the East African Community to allocate and appropriate more resources in the area of SDGs. He remarked that EALA was keen to enact a regional piece of legislation relevant to the realisation of the SDGs.
The Head of the Africa Platform Secretariat, Paul Okumu remarked that it was time for African countries to fully implement laws and policies around development. He said a number of SDGs were in one way or another already encapsulated in policy frameworks.
“We need to understand that developing countries want to ensure an open democratic space where we can all make decisions and have a vote. This is why the arena such as SDGs that bring together all countries is vital”, he said.
He remarked that the continent may face challenges as the goals may be complex to realise.
“Some of the areas have not been completed such as that dealing with Climate Change”, he added.
Associate Director of Society for International Development, Ali Hersi said it was necessary to have concrete binding commitments from Partners. He said the role of EALA was key in ensuring concrete steps are realised as the region moves to the comprehensive development goals.
He noted that it was important for the Continent to take its place and mark its space in the Development Agenda dispensation.
Analysts contend that as the world transitions from a focus on MDGs to the more comprehensive SDGs, the need for effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels to achieve the goals will increasingly take centre stage.
The United Nations is expected to hold a global Summit in New York on 25-27th September 2015 to adopt the Post 2015 Development Agenda.
Lack of accountability has been identified as a major weakness in MDGs implementation. From the Paris Accord to Accra Declaration to the recent Busan statements, the international community has continued to express hope that countries’ institutions be sufficiently capacitated to ensure internal supervision of National Government’s international engagements.
Posted in Press Release
The Secretary-General of the East African Community, Amb. Dr Richard Sezibera, on Thursday paid a working visit to Roofings Group Uganda at its 2nd plant located in Namanve, Uganda’s upcoming Industrial Area on the outskirts of the capital, Kampala.
The Secretary-General was accompanied by Hon. Dr James Shinyabulo Mutende, Uganda’s Minister of State for Industry; Mr Dennis Karera, the Chair of the East African Business Council (EABC) and the Ag. CEO, Ms Lilian Awinja; Mr Hussein Omar, the EABC Uganda Chapter Chair; Dr Samuel M. Nyantahe, Chairman of Confederation of Tanzania Industries; Amb. Jean Rigi, Burundi’s Permanent Secretary for EAC Affairs; and, Commissioner Rona Sserwada from Uganda’s Ministry of EAC Affairs.
Welcoming the Secretary-General to the Plant, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Roofings Group, Mr Sikander Lalani, said it was gratifying that Amb. Sezibera’s visit to the plant came immediately after the 1st East African Manufacturing Business Summit held from 1st to 2nd September 2015 in the Ugandan capital.
Lalani said the deliberations at the Summit were all geared towards job creation for the youth, increasing value addition, quality assurance, enhancing tax revenues, fair trade and most importantly, boosting the region’s economic standing in the world.
Lalani told the Secretary-General of various issues that must be addressed at the regional level in order to boost the growth of the steel sector, namely: the need to increase the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) on galvanised wire to 25% in the region; and, the Re-bars to have either a fixed import tax rate based on volume at $250 EAC CET per tonne or based on value at 25% CET, whichever is higher.
The CEO also proposed removing cold rolled coils, galvanised coils and pre-painted coils from the duty remission schemes of Rwanda and Burundi. He also requested the region to put in place a robust quality assurance system by way of adopting regional standards in the steel sector as well as putting in place a level playing field in tax administration.
He further urged EAC Partner States’ governments to prioritise and enhance local / regional content for infrastructural and donor-funded projects as a way of promoting the Buy East Africa, Build East Africa campaign.
Lalani disclosed that the Group was employing people from the region without any discrimination, as long as they have the required skills and ability to deliver.
He also assured the Secretary-General that the firm was keen on investing in the entire region depending on the enabling environment in terms of import duty policies, level of playing field and availability of markets.
Minister of State for Industry, Dr Mutende assured the Secretary-General and investors in the region that Uganda Government was working to address all the issues impacting on her business environment including a reduction in energy costs.
EABC Chair, Mr Karera called for an urgent meeting of steel producers and stakeholders before the end of September 2015 to address the issues impacting on the sector business in the region, adding that a regional code of conduct was being developed and will be considered for adoption at the November EAC Heads of State Summit.
In his remarks, Amb. Dr Sezibera congratulated Mr Lalani for the massive and quality investment in Uganda and the wider East African region, adding that some of the issues raised were already being addressed by the EAC Secretariat, the EAC Council of Ministers and EABC.
On the issue of standards, Amb. Sezibera urged the Roofings Group to work closely with the EABC and the EAC Secretariat to sort them out.