EAC hands over COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force Chairmanship to COMESA
EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 16th July, 2022: The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki has handed over the Chairmanship of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force (TTF) to H.E Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The handover took place on Saturday, 16th July 2022 during the 34th Meeting of the Tripartite Task Force, on the sidelines of the 4th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms in Lusaka, Zambia.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr.Mathuki lauded the tripartite for the commitment in realizing the Tripartite vision of a developmental Free Trade Area that aims at promoting economic development and growth in the 26 Partner States.
Dr Mathuki highlighted the development of the guidelines for movement of goods and services across the region as one of the tripartites wins.
“This coordination led to free flow of goods within the EAC region and between the three Regional Economic Communities during the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
A number of implementation instruments have been finalized in readiness for implementation of the Agreement and these include instruments on; Rules of Origin, Customs Cooperation, Trade Facilitation, Transit Facilitation, Non-Tariff Barriers, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measure and Technical Barriers to Trade.
Dr Mathuki also informed the meeting that the Tripartite Protocol on Competition Policy has also been finalized and awaits adoption by Policy organs.
“Outstanding work includes completion of exchange of tariff offers, finalization of some chapters on Rules of Origin, on textiles and automotive products mainly, IPR and Trade in Services and development of instruments to implement the Tripartite Protocol on Competition policy. The Specific Guidelines on Perishable Goods are also currently being developed,” he added.
As the Chair of the Tripartite Task Force, the EAC was entrusted with coordinating
the implementation of the Tripartite Work Programme for one year.
The EAC played a lead role in the preparation of agendas and background documents for meetings; circulation of invitations to meetings and background documents; preparation of reports of the meetings of the Tripartite organs; following up on the implementation of decisions of the various meetings and logistical arrangements for all the meetings.
In addition, the TTF Chair organised several workshops facilitated by subject matter specialists to facilitate consensus.
The incoming Chair and Secretary General of the Common Market of East South Africa (COMESA) H.E Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, lauded EAC for steering the tripartite in the last one year and called for the finalisation of the ongoing Tripartite Resource Mobilization Strategy.
“The strategy will ensure steady flow of resources from the public, the Private and Donor Sectors. This is critical for the sustainability of the Tripartite Programme, moving forward,” she said.
The meeting was also attended by the Director in charge of Trade SADC and EAC´s Director in Charge of Trade Dr. Alhaji Kibowa.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
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