EABC Board Directors Engage Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko, EAC Secretary General

EABC Board Directors Engage Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko, EAC Secretary General

EABC Board Directors Engage Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko, EAC Secretary General on Improving the Business Environment for Private Sector Growth in the Region

Thursday, 14th September 2017, Mr. Jim Kabeho, EABC Ag. Chairman led a delegation of East African Business Council Directors and Staff to the East African Community.

Mr. Jim Kabeho, EABC Ag. Chairman appreciated the EAC for hosting the business community and the continued support received from the EAC Customs and Trade, Productive and Social Sectors as well as Infrastructure and Planning departments.

“Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko, we are here on behalf of East African Business Community for the Common Good of the Integration” said Mr. Jim Kabeho, EABC Ag. Chairman.

Mr. Jim Kabeho, EABC Ag. Chairman brought the following issues to the attention of the EAC Secretary General on behalf of the business community.

• The slow pace of the EAC Integration process given that some of the directives of the EAC Heads of State Summit and the Council of Ministers are not implemented on time. EABC urged Partner States to expeditiously implement the directives particularly those with a bearing on private sector growth and development and urged for removal of Non-Tariff Barriers and harmonization of domestic taxes in the region.

•  EABC urged for the finalization of the EAC Air Transport Regulations to give way to the domestication of the EAC air space and reduce the cost of doing business in the region. 

•  The cost of telecommunications in the region needs to be brought lower to facilitate business across the region. EABC urged for the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Burundi to expeditiously remove the roaming charges and join the “One Network area”.

•  EABC also called for stronger focus on industrialization on specific priority sectors as per the EAC Industrialization Strategy: namely Iron-ore &other mineral processing; Fertilizers & agrochemicals; Pharmaceuticals; Petro-chemicals & gas processing; Agro-processing and Energy & Bio-fuels.

“Private sector drives development, the business community should spearhead the integration process by bringing the community together through trade” said Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko, EAC Secretary General. 

Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko, highlighted key achievements of the EAC and emphasized that the EAC is pushing for full implementation of the Single Customs Territory, Free Movement of Persons and is currently developing the 5th EAC Development Strategy. 

Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko further urged for more collaboration in marketing the EAC region as one investment destination. In addition, Hon. Amb Libérat Mfumukeko welcomed EABC to work more closely with the EAC Secretariat by strategizing and synchronizing action plans to improve the region’s competitiveness in Trade and Investments.

On behalf of the EAC Secretariat, Hon Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko passed his condolences on the loss of Mr. Kassim Omar, EABC Chairman.

EABC agreed with the EAC on the strategic focus areas for the remaining part of the year, including the EABC Entrepreneurship conference in November 2017

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