Over the past 8 years the 5 members of the East African Community (EAC)— Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda—have continued to take steps to make it easier for local firms to start up and operate. Driving these efforts has been a recognition that regional integration alone is not enough to spur growth. The EAC needs an investment climate—including a business regulatory environment—that is well suited to scaling up trade and investment and can act as a catalyst to modernize the regional economy. Improving the investment climate in the EAC is therefore an essential ingredient for successful integration—the foundation for expanding business activity, boosting competitiveness, spurring growth and, ultimately, supporting human
development.