East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 16 May 2017:

The 18th Ordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit has been set for the 20th May, 2017, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Top on the agenda is the consideration of EU-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and Sustainable Financing Mechanism for the Community. The Summit will also consider the status of the EAC Political Federation, the appointment of a Deputy Secretary General from the Tanzania, the appointment of a Judge from South Sudan to the First Instance Division of the East African Court of Justice.

The Summit will also receive a report on the roadmap for the accelerated integration of South Sudan into the EAC, and consider progress report on the implementation framework for the EAC Institutional Review.

Also on the agenda are: a progress report on the verification exercise for the admission of the Republic of Somalia into the EAC; a report on the modalities for promotion of motor vehicle assembly in the region and to reduce the importation of used motor vehicles from outside the Community, and; a report on the review on the textile and leather sector with a view to phasing out importation of used textiles and footwear.

The Summit will consider assenting to Bills passed by the East African Legislative Assembly and will also present awards to the winners of the EAC Students Essay, 2016. The Summit will also declare the transformation of the EAC into a Common Higher Education Area.

The Summit is being preceded by the 34th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers that is currently underway at the Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel from today 16th to 18th May, 2017.

Media Alert

All Local and Foreign Journalists intending to cover the 34th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers and the 18th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State are alerted that the Accreditation Process will be done at the Maelezo offices (Tanzania Information Services-TIS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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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 Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 15 May 2017:

The Tripartite Task Force Infrastructure Sub-Committee meeting to consider progress of projects and programmes under the Infrastructure Pillar of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) concluded on 12th May, 2017 in Arusha, Tanzania.

The two-day meeting chaired by the Director of Infrastructure at the EAC Secretariat, Dr Kamugisha Kazaura was attended by the representative from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the host EAC.

Delivering his opening remarks on behalf of the Secretary General, Dr Kazaura, appreciated the support from the EU for funding the Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Project (TTTFP) from the EDF 11 funding cycle for the next five years. The support will go a long way in facilitating harmonization of the transport standards, regulatory frameworks and specifications in the Eastern and Southern African Region.

The representative of SADC, Mr. Lovemore Bingandadi, thanked the EAC for convening the meeting and reiterated SADC’s commitment to work with COMESA and EAC to accelerate the implementation of the Tripartite Infrastructure programmes.

On his part, Mr. Bernard Dzawanda from COMESA, pledged to work with the other RECs in the implementation of the Tripartite Infrastructure programmes. He lauded the EAC for enacting regional legislation that made it easier for Partner States to implement regional policies and standards and called for replication of the practice across all Tripartite RECs.

The meeting discussed the progress in the implementation of the Tripartite Infrastructure Projects and Programmes in the areas of Tripartite Transport and Facilitation Programme, Corridors Infrastructure Development, Civil Aviation, Maritime Transport, Ports, ICT and Energy.  The Tripartite RECs and Member States have developed Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme (TTTFP) which has received funding amounting to 18 million Euros under the 11th EDF.

Implementation of the programme is expected to commence in July 2017. It was noted that the lack of an integrated and liberalized road transport market in the East and Southern African (EA-SA) region poses numerous obstacles to trade by causing severe delays and increased transport costs, as well as challenges to road safety and durability. This programme (which builds on previous REC programs) addresses these challenges through the implementation of harmonized road transport policies, laws, regulations, systems and standards that affect drivers, loads, vehicles and road infrastructure in the countries of the EA-SA region.

All REC’s forming the Tripartite have prioritized the development of corridors to facilitate transit transport and expand trade within and between the respective regions.

In the Civil Aviation Sub Sector, the meeting noted that the Tripartite is currently playing the key role in the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision and establishment of a single African Air Transport Market as adopted by the African Union Assembly in January 2015. The full liberalization in the Tripartite region will lead to the removal of all restrictions on access, price, frequency and capacity in intra-African Air Transport market, free exercise of the first five freedom rights and the reduction of Air Transport Cost. 

The report of the Tripartite Task force Infrastructure Sub-Committee meeting will be considered by the Tripartite Sectoral Committee of Ministers of Infrastructure (TSCMI) scheduled in July 2017.

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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.