Dar es Salaam — South Sudan has now been admitted into the East African Community (EAC), increasing the membership of the common market to six, with a population of 162 million people. The 17th Ordinary EAC Heads of State Summit in Arusha resolved to admit Africa's newest nation into the economic bloc on Wednesday. "South Sudan is a new member of the EAC," said the EAC secretariat on its social media site on Wednesday. A statement from the EAC headquarters in Arusha before the announcement showed that the issue was high on the agenda of the meeting. It said the leaders would decide "on the negotiations on the admission of South Sudan into the community," among other issues. South Sudan now joins Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, and it will be part of the regional integration projects that have been the subject of discussion among member countries, some for years now. South Sudan applied for EAC membership soon after gaining its independence from neighbouring Sudan in 2011, upon being invited by the presidents of Kenya and Rwanda. There has been mixed reactions from various quarters, on whether or not it is the right time for South Sudan to join the EAC. Some critics have suggested that it would have been better for the cuntry to resolve its political issues at home first. Others say the tensions should not bar or distract South Sudan's desire to be part of one of Africa's biggest regional bloc. Another group of analysts believe...

An EAC Mobile Application meant to disseminate news, information and reports on a timely basis about the current state of affairs and development has been unveiled. The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Richard Sezibera, unveiled the mobile application version 3.2 at the 4th EAC Secretary General’s Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, yesterday. Amb. Sezibera hailed the EAC Youth Ambassadors’ Platform, the architect of the application, for the brilliant innovation. He singled out Brian Joseph Otim, Jacob Eyeru, Dennis Leku and Herbert Esemu from the EAC Youth Ambassadors Platform, Uganda Chapter, for developing the first-ever EAC mobile application product and making it accessible globally. In a statement from the EAC, Sezibera said the application, also known as EAC in the Palm, was free, open and easily accessed mobile platform dedicated to easing sharing and disseminating EAC related information as well as tracking reports on development programmes in the region. “This will increase information outreach and sensitisation on the EAC integration process in real time,” said Amb. Sezibera. At the launch ceremony, Otim, the head of the EAC Mobile Application Project at the EAC Youth Platform, outlined some of the benefits of the product, which include; prompt information outreach to all citizens of the Community and the rest of the world through individual smartphones. He said this would advance the “one to one” sensitisation efforts of the Community; rebranding EAC on the social global network where information on EAC activities as updated on the website is made available...

KIKAFU Bridge, which has been scaring motorists and passengers alike due to its dark legend of claiming many lives from its annual accidents toll, will soon be reconstructed and relocated. The Japanese ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Masaharu Yoshida, said this recently during the ground breaking inaugural occasion for the proposed Arusha-Holili via Moshi highway. The highway will be built under the auspices of the East African Community. “Japan is keen to continue its infrastructural development support to Tanzania and other East African countries, including the ongoing building of Arusha-Holili highway,” stated Mr Yoshida in Arusha, at the inaugural ceremony attended by Heads of State from the EAC member states. Located at the Kwa-Sadala section of Hai District in Kilimanjaro Region, along the main Arusha-Moshi Highway, the bridge lies between two steep elevations with a deep river gorge in between, linked by a narrow cross-over. Kikafu apparently has had more than its fair share of accidents. Last year, a team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) comprising Mr Hajime Iwama; the Director, Africa Division II in charge of JICA’s Tanzania programme, Africa Department, Mr Kenji Isomoto; JICA Technical Advisor and Mr Kimanari Takahashi; Team Leader of JICA Study, visited the EAC secretariat to discuss the project. Source: Daily News

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) members have elected Xavier Carim of South Africa to head its dispute settlement body (DSB) in yet another effort aimed at putting developing states at the centre of global trading system. Mr Carim will begin by steering DSB’s next regular meeting scheduled for March 23 after WTO delegates elected him by acclamation to replace outgoing chairman Harald Neple of Norway. “At its meeting on February 26, the DSB appointed Ambassador Xavier Carim as the new chair,” WTO Secretariat said in a statement. With a Brazilian, Roberto Azevedo as its director-general, WTO has lately been pulling all stops to project itself as an Africa (and developing states)-friendly agency. In December, the agency settled on Nairobi as the first African city to host its ministerial conference with chairperson - Kenya’s trade and international affairs secretary Amina Mohamed - helping the world to break a 10-year deadlock. Brazil, India, China and South Africa had previously led developing states in championing the anti-domination protests against WTO, leading to collapse of previously ministerial conference. With key reforms already recorded in the negotiation and implementation arms of the WTO, the all-powerful DSB has been seen as the remaining “unfriendly” aspect of multilateral trading system. Kenya unsuccessfully pushed for the appointment of Prof James Thuo Gathii, an international trade scholar, as a member of DSB in part of international efforts to make it appealing to the developing states. When he took over as WTO boss, Mr Xavier Carim Azevedo identified reforms at...

By Zephania Ubwani Arusha — The East African leaders yesterday stressed that governments should be facilitators and not impediments to the smooth flow of business in the region. "Governments have to facilitate trade growth and not block it," stressed Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during the official launch of the project to upgrade of the Arusha-Holili road into a dual carriageway that will extend to Voi on the Kenyan side. He said despite the pumping millions of dollars by donors for the improvement of transport networks that would ease communication in the region, unnecessary restrictions by governments have proved to be a drawback. The Kenyan leader said despite countless agreements made to remove the non-tariff barriers (NTBs), there were still many restrictions that hamper cross-border trade and movement of people, touching mostly the lower segment of the people. "It looks like the governments are still obsessed with the out-dated laws of fortified boundaries. But the wananchi are trading among themselves," he told the huge gathering at Tengeru township along the Arusha-Moshi highway in the presence of President John Magufuli and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, among others. He said during a similar road launch event at Taveta on the Kenyan side of the border last October, half of the hundreds of people who attended were Tanzanians who are small-scale traders doing business in the larger Taveta inside Kenya. President Uhuru, speaking in perfect Kiswahili, warned that unless the political leaders in East Africa discarded their isolationist notions, the region would continue to...

By Anne Kiruku­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­, Arusha, Tanzania The opening of the Holili/Taveta One-Stop Border Post, a testament of the enormous investment the region is making in regional integration initiatives, will need to be accompanied by a thorough determination in dealing with associated challenges. The construction of more than a dozen similar border posts is a great leap towards realization of East Africa’s dream of One People, One destiny – a dream that ever so often seems distant given the roadblocks of official intransigence driven especially by parochial nationalistic sentiments. The new border post, like all the others, will now ease the movement of goods and people across borders. This will in turn boost trade by facilitating faster clearance of cargo and travelers. There will be a significant reduction in transport costs as well, all due to the more effective border control mechanisms being put in place. The border post will also ensure greater sharing of social and cultural norms by the communities living on either side of the Kenya-Tanzania border, a crucial factor in fostering faster integration. It will also create synergy and unity of purpose for the people of the border communities of the two countries. This noble initiative, however, must be accompanied by a determination to deal decisively with the enormous challenges that are threatening to dim the light of the East African Community regional integration agenda. Of particular concern is the menace of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which is constantly threatening to rip the integration agenda apart. businesspersons across the...

THE East African Community (EAC), has expressed the need for its citizens and civil society organizations to join hands with its leaders in the fight against corruption in the region. EAC Secretary General, Dr Richard Sezibera made the call yesterday in Dar es Salaaam while opening the fourth Annual EAC Secretary General’s Forum. With the theme “Good Governance and Constitutional in the EAC” Dr Sezibera said that the fight against the development threat (corruption) should not be left to the hands of few leaders with passion to get rid of it, but be given drive by citizens and other stakeholders. “The fight against corruption should be done in a practical manner by mobilising the citizens and civil society organizations to join leaders who have demonstrated the examples in the fight against corruption,” he said and cited President John Magufuli as one among leaders to be emulated in the EA Region. In another development, Dr Sezibera said the EAC citizens ought to ensure those implicated in corruption cases are severely punished to stop the behavior. Commenting on the objectives of the forum, Dr Sezibera said that the forum that brought together the private sector members, civil society organizations and other interested groups including the professional associations in the regions agreed on the various issues towards the fight against corruption in the region. “One of the issues discussed and agreed in the forum by the business council and private members is on the code of ethics and how to treat their customers,...

ARUSHA, TANZANIA - Kenya and Tanzania senior representatives officially opened the Holili-Taveta One Stop Border Post (OSBP) last week. The project which was overseen by TradeMark Africa (TMA) is expected to ease trade movement across the border between the two countries and strengthen the integration process. The Tanzania Minister for Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, and Kenya’s, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Labour and East African Affairs, Phyllis Kandie, opened the complex. Customs procedures between Tanzania and Kenya are ebing speeded up and other red tape substantially reduced. Ambassador Mahiga said the opening of the Holili and Taveta border post reflected the determination of the governments to boost regional integration through trade facilitation. Phyllis Kandie said the opening of the One Stop Border Posts at Holili and Taveta border marked an important milestone in the integration process of the region and called upon the business community to make optimal use of the facilities to enhance trade. “Kenya cherishes the vision of widening and deepening of integration... Kenya strongly believes in dynamism of regional integration,” she said. The construction of Voi and Taveta Road nearing completion and the new facilities at Holili and Taveta would boost trade in the East African region and unlock trade potential of the Kilimanjaro Region and Taveta County, said Kandie. The OSBP, Dr. Mahiga said, is set to increase efficiency by reducing time and transport costs incurred by businesses and transporters in crossing the border. The Minister further said the Arusha-Holili/Taveta-Voi...

Last week we looked at visa openness in Africa and concluded that the continent remains largely closed with its citizens requiring visas to travel to 55% of other African countries. This week we take a closer look at free trade in Africa. There are currently 17 trade blocs in Africa, but intra-African trade falls below 10% versus 50% in Asia and 65% in Europe. So why is intra-African trade so low and what can African leaders do to encourage greater trade and integration in Africa? Last year, at the 25th African Union Summit in Cairo, Egypt, African leaders signed the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA). Prior to its signing, the agreement had been in negotiations for seven years. TFTA intends to unite three existing trading blocks in Africa, namely Sadc, East African Community (EAC) and Comesa, into one unified region. In doing so, the agreement renews the long-standing dream of an economically-integrated entity stretching from Cape to Cairo. If ratified, the agreement will create the largest free trade zone in the continent’s history with a membership of over 26 African states, a population of 632 million, an area of 17,3 million square kilometres, total trade of U$1,2 trillion and 60% of continental output. The large number of borders has long divided Africa’s 54 countries, limiting economies of scale. Fixing common problems such as a shortage of roads takes co-operation, but will lead to more integration. Transport costs in Africa are twice the world average and are detrimental to trade more...

On Wednesday, the East African Heads of State unveiled a new generation e-passport in a summit held in Arusha, Tanzania. The e-passport is expected to help build a long lasting relationship amongst East African nations. The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Mr Richard Sezibera, while speaking to newsmen said “This is the time for creating a truly African market, (Through the use of the e-passport) – In goods, and services including financial services. This is the time for shared industrialization, creating value chains across countries and regions. I am glad East Africa continues to be at the forefront of integration and growth.” The e-passport was scheduled to launch in November last year but was postponed to allow more time to address pending issues on the travel document. The summit was preceded by a meeting of the EAC council of ministers which took place early last year at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha . The EAC trading bloc includes Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania. The new passport will also be used for travel around the world while strengthening trade relations within the region. This latest development puts East Africa in the league of other regions like West Africa and North Africa where unified passports are already in use. Source: Ventures Africa