East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th July, 2021: The United Republic of Tanzania has launched its Trade information Portal which is expected to boost intra-regional trade in East Africa as well as the region’s share of international trade.
The Tanzania Trade Information Portal was launched during the Saba Saba International Trade Fair held in the East African nation’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, by Zanzibar’s Minister for Trade and Industry Development, Hon. Said Omar Shabani, assisted by Hon. Exaud Silaoneka Kigahe (MP), the Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 29th May, 2021: The East African Community Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) has urged the EAC Regional Coordination Committee to review and harmonise the Covid-19 testing charges, in addition to the validity and mutual recognition of the certificates with a view to ensuring the safe and smooth movement of goods and persons in the region.
The SCTIFI noted with concern the non-recognition of Covid-19 certificates by Partner States, the unharmonised charges for Covid-19 testing and the validity of Covid-19 certificates amongst Partner States.
…His Excellency Paul Kagame expected to grace the opening
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 3rd December, 2019: The 20th Edition of the annual East African Community Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSES) Trade Fair, formerly known as JuaKali Nguvu Kazi Exhibition is set for 13th to 22nd December, 2019 at Gikondo Expo Grounds in Kigali, Rwanda.
The 20th Edition Trade Fair themed; EAC@20: Building EAC through Micro and Small Enterprises jointly organized on a rotational basis by the EAC Secretariat, the East African Confederation of Informal Sector Organisation (EACISO) in collaboration with EAC Partner States, brings together artisans from the six (6) EAC Partner States comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1st October, 2019: The web site of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme was officially launched at a festive event during the EAC High Level Trade Integration Conference held from 25th to 27th September, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community and Regional Development, Kenya, Dr. Margret Mwakima, and Amb Jean Rigi, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of EAC Affairs, Burundi jointly launched the EAC MARKUP website.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th September, 2019: The East African Community has declared Fridays as ‘Afrika Mashariki Fashion Day’ during which East Africans will wear attires manufactured in the region.
The 36th Extra-Ordinary Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) further declared the 1st Week of September an ‘Afrika Mashariki Fashion Week’ to be held annually as a Trade Fair and Exhibition of EAC designed textiles and garments.
The SCTIFI urged EAC Partner States that produce cotton to set up national cotton lint buffer stock mechanisms to ensure all year-round availability of locally produced cotton lint to spinning mills.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th September, 2019: Preparations are in high gear for a High Level Conference on Trade Integration in the East African Community scheduled to take place from 25th to 27th September, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
The high level conference themed, “Enhancing Trade Integration in East African Community” has been organized by the EAC in collaboration with East African Business Council, TradeMark East Africa, the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the host country Kenya.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th June 2019: A three-day Competition and Communication Experts Meeting to validate the draft East African Competition Authority (EACA) Outreach and Advocacy Strategy (2019/20 – 2024/25) concluded today in Nairobi, Kenya.
The 26th to 28th June meeting was attended by Competition and Communication Experts from all the Partner States and staff from the EAC Secretariat. The Republic of Rwanda is the current chair of the EAC hence according to the EAC Rules of Procedures, Mr. Louis Uwimana, from Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, chaired the meeting while, Mr. Feisal Ibrahim, from the Competition Authority of Kenya was the Rapporteur.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 12th June, 2019: The 5th Meeting of the ad hoc EAC Competition Authority (EACA) concluded on Friday 7th June, 2019 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with the swearing in of Dr. John K. Mduma, as a Commissioner of the EAC Competition Authority from the United Republic of Tanzania. The swearing in ceremony was conducted by the Counsel to the Community, Dr. Anthony Kafumbe, while the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Secrecy was administered by the Registrar of the East African Court of Justice, Mr. Yufnalis N. Okubo.
Addressing the Commissioners on behalf of the Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, the Counsel to the Community, Dr. Kafumbe commended the Commissioners for their commitment to the EAC competition agenda and noted that their work was very critical in regulating mergers and acquisitions, and handling issues of market dominance and protection of consumer welfare in the Community.
The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), which was launched on 10th June 2015, aims to establish a single market for 27 African countries with a combined population of about 700 million people (57% of Africa’s population), and Gross Domestic Product above USD 1.4 trillion.
The TFTA is built on three pillars (market integration, infrastructure development and industrial development) and there is a parallel agreement on movement of business persons. The Tripartite approach reflects the desire to advance regional integration from multiple fronts. As such, the TFTA would facilitate development of regional infrastructure for cross-border trade and lead to harmonisation of trade regimes amongst Tripartite Member/Partner States, stimulate industrial development through creation of value chains and facilitate movement of business persons.
As part of the market integration pillar, Member/Partner States have been engaged in bilateral tariff liberalisation negotiations. The market access negotiations between the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), consisting of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, and the East African Community (EAC), which consists of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda have largely been successfully concluded.
The conclusion of the SACU-EAC negotiations marks a significant step towards realising the benefits of the TFTA. The main aim of the SACU-EAC market access negotiations has always been to provide commercially meaningful market access for the private sector in the two regions.
The SACU-EAC private sector will thus have access to new and dynamic markets for exports as well as new sources of inputs for domestic production processes, thereby enhancing intra-regional trade.
Furthermore, there is emphasis on the development of regional value chains in a wide range of sectors, to deepen integration between SACU and the EAC.
The conclusion of the negotiations provides an opportunity for the TFTA to be a building block and to have a coordinated approach for negotiations in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th May, 2019: A five-day East African Community Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) meeting is currently underway at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The SCTIFI meeting started today with the Session of Senior Officials which runs from 27th to 29thMay, 2019 followed by the Coordination Committee (Session of Permanent/Principal/Under Secretaries) on 30thMay, 2019 and the Ministers Session on 31stMay, 2019.
