The East African Business Council during the 17th Annual General Meeting held at the Radisson Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on the 27th of May 2016, the East African Business Council (EABC) elected its new Executive Committee for the period of 2016/2017 with Mr. Econie Nijimbere from Burundi as the Chairman taking over from Mr. Dennis Karera, who served as Chairman from the year 2015.
Mr. Nijimbere has been serving as a Vice Chair at the Board level of the East African Business Council.
Mr. Econie Nijimbere is currently the President of Burundi Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CFCIB). He has over 19 years of experience in the private sector, from 2010 to the present. He has also served as President of the Burundi Manufacturers Association, Board Member of the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR). Mr. Econie Nijimbere has participated in various international business forums and has long term in addressing issues of the business community.
The EABC Executive Committee will now look like this:-
New Chairman EABC- Mr. Econie Njimbere
EABC Board Members from Burundi:
1. Mr. Boaz Nimpe- Burundi’s Bankers Association (ABEF)
2. Ms. Claudette Ngendandumwe- Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Burundi (AFAB)
3. Mr. NDIKUMANA Petite Jean –Burundi Clearing and Forwarding ( ABADT)
EABC Board Members from Rwanda:
1. Mr. Dennis Karera- Rwanda Hotel Association -Vice Chair
2. Mr. Johnbosco Rusagara- Chairman, Rwanda Shippers Council
3. Mr. Stephen Ruzibiza- Private Sector Federation Rwanda
4. Dr. James Gatera- Crystal Ventures Limited
(Rwanda was requested to submit the name of the 5th Board Member).
EABC Board Members from Kenya:
Kenya requested to be given 7 days to present their nominees to the EABC Executive Committee.
EABC Board Members from the United Republic of Tanzania:
1. Mr. Felix Mosha, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation- Vice Chair
2. Mr. Grant Mapham- Kilombero Sugar Company
3. Mr. Kake Dhariwal, Avco Investment
4. Dr. Samuel Nyantahe, Confederation of Tanzania Industries
EABC Board Members from Uganda:
1. Mr. Kassim Omar- Chairman, Uganda Clearing Industry and Forwarding Association
2. Mr. Jim Kabeho, Kakira Sugar Works
3. Mr. Francis Onapito- Nile Breweries
4. Dr. Sikander Lalani, Roofings Group
(Uganda was given 7 days to submit the name of the Vice Chair).
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Nijimbera thanked the outgoing Chairman Mr. Dennis Karera and the Executive Committee for a job well done and the progress made so far. He welcomed the new Executive Committee members to the task of taking forward the pending work to the new level.
He outlined key areas that his tenure will focus on implementation of the East African Business Council Strategic Plan 2015/18, Extensive advocacy on issues outlined in our EABC Policy Advocacy Agenda document that aims at addressing key sectoral and cross cutting trading policy challenges as well as highlighting gaps and discrepancies in the implementation of the East African Community Customs Union and Common Market Protocols which are hindering East Africans from enjoying advantages presented by East African Community Integration and the wider EAC Common Market.
He affirmed that together with the incoming Executive Committee team, they will endeavor to focus on key areas as follows:-
1. On EABC Institutional Strengthening: they will endeavor to build EABC’s institutional capacity through enhancing our technical and financial capabilities in order to ensure sustainability.
2. On Policy Advocacy: they will continue to advocate the following issues: EAC CET review; Domestic Tax Harmonisation; Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers; Harmonisation of East African
Standards; EAC regional local content; liberalisation of trade in services; telecommunication; domestication of EAC Air Space; Free movement of business person; harmonisation of work
permit regimes; regional anti counterfeit policy and law; implementation of WTO agreement on Trade Facilitation and Sectoral Issues such as; agriculture, tourism, textile, leather, sugar
industry, health and iron and steel sub sectors.
3. On Enhanced Membership Services: EABC’s membership which currently at 163 members will be further expanded; though the help of National Focal Points in each of the 5 EAC Partner
States, through value added services and business related networking events & training.
4. On Partnership Strengthening: they will seek to continue engaging our partners such as the East African Community Secretariat, EABC national focal points and development partners more
effectively in order to serve our members.
5. On EABC’s visibility: they will continue to engage with members through consistent and purposeful communication and dialogue. Our engagement with our media partners will be paramount
in enhancing visibility and the creation of regional awareness.
6. On the EABC Code of Conduct: they will spearhead national launches to encourage our Members to sign up to the newly launched EABC- led Code of Conduct for Doing Business in the
East African Region that was recently launched by the 17th EAC Heads of State Summit on 2nd March, 2016. Dear Members, the code of Conduct is a statement of who we are as a
business community and a definition of what we believe. I encourage members who have not signed up to do so.
The new team will also seek to engage various partners much more effectively for the mutual benefit of both organizations. The EAC and EABC national focal points remain the key Partners at regional and national levels respectively.
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