The President of Burundi and the Chairperson of the EAC Summit of Heads of State, H.E. Pierre Nkurunziza, today presented the State of the EAC Address in the Parliament of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
In the State of the EAC Address, President Nkurunziza noted the need for the region to direct greater attention and energy at getting the strategic drivers of integration “right and on track” so as to maintain the momentum gathered and move the community forward.
The President made the address to members of the EALA who have for the last two weeks held the 4th meeting of the 4th session. In attendance were EAC officials, senior government officials, Members from the Parliament of Rwanda, representatives of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders.
President Nkurunziza enumerated the main strategic drivers the region needed to prioritise in its quest to deepen integration as enhancement of trade, the free-flow of trade through open borders, pursuit of regional infrastructure and quality assurance of education systems in the region.
President Nkurunziza called for enhanced efforts to ensure the growth of intra-EAC trade, which he noted, was currently standing at 11% of the total share in global trade. The President emphasized the need for technological innovation, intensive irrigation and value addition services as possible ways and means of boosting intra-regional trade.
Similarly, the Head of State called for the improvement of roads and infrastructure that connect agricultural production areas to markets and industrial centers as fundamental in the integration dispensation. “In this regard, our focus on infrastructure development cannot therefore be limited to regional inter-connections. It must extend to the improvement of national infrastructure in general”, President Nkurunziza said.
The President urged Partner States to open up their borders to allow for trade to intensify. He noted Non-Tariff Barriers were a big impediment to doing business in the region. “Trade flows are for the time being impeded by a good number of NTBs”, President Nkurunziza noted, adding that their removal would constitute a solid basis for the success of the Monetary Union, whose negotiations, he said, were underway.
The rigourous pursuit to regional infrastructure was therefore, a key factor and a strategic driver to boosting integration, the President said. He urged Partner States to ensure the elaborate Regional Master Plans for Roads, Railways and Energy, were transformed into genuine infrastructure on the ground.
On education, the President called for enhanced quality assurance of the region’s education systems, stating that science and technology remained the prime drivers of social and economic transformation. He urged the Partner States to strengthen the role of the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) in quality assurance, accreditation and in the harmonization of the higher education systems, to ensure high standards of the products of academic institutions. President Nkurunziza said such a move would result in free movement of workers and services.
On the economic front, President Nkurunziza noted that the region continued to face currency depreciation, with serious repercussions on inflation. He stated the reasons behind the on-going challenges included drought in most parts of the region, as well the recent rising prices of fuel and other imports, following political events in the Maghreb and Middle East. President Nkurunziza also decried the growing incidents of piracy in the western rim of the Indian Ocean, which, he said, had continued to impact negatively on the region.
The Chairperson lauded the region for the democratic, peaceful, free and fair exercises in the elections and referenda, which he said, were a cornerstone of the promotion of democracy and good governance in the respective countries and a strong foundation for the East African Community integration process.
”These political developments taking place in our region constitute an important part of our quest to consolidate political co-operation in various facets, as a way towards our desire for a Political Federation”, President Nkurunziza noted.
The President reiterated the commitment of the EAC to the Tripartite arrangement - COMESA-EAC-SADC, noting that efforts towards the establishment of the Grand Free Trade Area were on course. “I wish to commend the work that has so far been done in this direction, and we are looking forward to the second Tripartite Summit, which will move Africa forward towards the realization of the African Economic Community” he said.
President Nkurunziza further re-affirmed the important role of businesswomen in socio-economic development in general, which he said, was in line with Chapter Twenty Two of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. “I am pleased to note that the East African Community is organizing the First Women in Business Conference, which is expected to chart out policies and strategies, to put women at the heart of the East African Community integration”, he said.
The State of the EAC address was preceded by remarks from the Speaker of the EALA, Hon. Abdirahin H. Abdi. Meanwhile the Assembly is expected to conclude its business tomorrow (April 6, 2011). On April 7, 2011, EALA members shall participate in activities commemorating the Rwanda genocide in Kigali.
Ends
For More Information, contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer; East African Legislative Assembly; Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036; Email: bodiko@eachq.org Web: https://www.eala.org Arusha, Tanzania
