East African Legislative Assembly, Zanzibar, Tanzania: 27 February, 2019: The President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, H.E. Dr Ali Mohammed Shein yesterday addressed the fourth Meeting of the Second Session of the Assembly in Zanzibar, reiterating the Community must re-double all efforts towards strengthening the integration process.
In his remarks, H.E. Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, said the move would ensure the region continues to realise immense growth and benefits. “It is evident that our Community has the potential for speedy growth that will place it as one of the most powerful economic blocs in the world. More efforts now should be directed to the consolidation of the Single Customs Territory that will enable the faster clearance of goods and a more effective Customs regime. Likewise, we need to step up efforts towards full implementation of the Common Market Protocol to stimulate production and investment projects that encourage job creation, especially in industrialization, innovation, SMEs and Tourism”, H.E. Dr Ali Mohammed Shein told an attentive House.
The President further called for accelerated efforts by the Assembly towards hastening pace of legislations to further anchor the EAC Monetary Union Protocol. “EALA’s work is vital in creating legislative contexts that will affect the promotion of business environment for value-added production and exports. A strong financial regulatory framework is equally important in order to isolate our economies from illicit activities including money laundering”, H.E. Dr Shein stated.
The President further reiterated need for enhanced liaison between EALA and the National Parliaments of Partner States as articulated under Article 49 of the EAC Treaty. “The existing synergy between the Assembly and the National Parliaments of the Member States that has given rise to the EAC Bureau of Speakers and other initiatives is extremely valuable. However, we should proceed with these efforts to the next level’, Hon Dr Shein said.
In attendance at the Special Sitting were the 2nd Vice President of the Zanzibar, H.E. Seif Ali Iddi, the Chief Justice of Zanzibar, Ministers of Zanzibar, senior government officials and diplomats. Also gracing the occasion were former Members of EALA from Zanzibar.
The President congratulated the Assembly for its intention to bring to fore, a regional piece of legislation to deter corruption in the region. Honorable Speaker, “corruption corrodes the common good and impairs good governance. It is a strong constraint on economic prosperity. It may be analogized with termites that can slowly and gradually eat up an upright standing piece of strong wood to its ultimate collapse”, the President said.
“The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has established a special body through its Act No. 1 of 2012 known as the Zanzibar Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Authority (ZAECA) to deal and combat this malpractice. The Government recognizes the fact that anti-corruption war needs citizens’ engagement. Hence, huge efforts are being taken to ensure full involvement of the people in the fight”, he added. The President further informed the House that Government of the United Republic of Tanzania under President Dr. John Joseph Magufuli had intensified its efforts in battling with corruption, including launch of Phase III 2017-2022 of the National Anti- Corruption Strategy and Action Plan and re-organizing the Crimes Division of the High Court as well as the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB).
In his remarks, the Speaker of EALA, Rt Hon Ngoga K. Martin, termed political will as a vital ingredient towards the full realization of full integration of the EAC.“Absolute political will is vital in addressing existing bottlenecks and in removal of Non-Tariff Barriers to trade and free movement of persons and goods, among others”, Rt Hon Ngoga said. He called for the promotion of Kiswahili, which he labeled as the main language of East Africans and said EALA had adopted a Resolution calling upon the Summit of EAC Heads of State to expedite use of Kiswahili in the region. The Speaker congratulated Zanzibar and the mainland for the political unity that led to the actualization of the Political Union.
“We are pleased that the issue of political unity in Africa has not only been so eloquently espoused by our Mwalimu Nyerere, but it is only in East Africa that two nations of Zanzibar and Tanganyika ever actualized a Political Union, to which we all stand tall and proud of as a people with a lot in common. We have no alternative but to unite and be stronger if we are to survive with relevance and dignity globally”, he remarked.
Rt Hon Ngoga reiterated the commitment of the Assembly to ensure focus on the implementation of the Customs Union and the Common Market as the region concretizes the next steps toward the Monetary Union and the Political Federation. He presented the scorecard of the first year of the 4th Assembly, summarizing the passage of 5 Bills namely; The EAC Oaths Bill 2017; The EAC Monetary Institute Bill 2017; The EAC Statistics Bill 2018; The EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2018; and The EAC Appropriation Bill 2018. Rt Hon Ngoga added that EAC Monetary Institute Bill 2018 and the EAC Statistics Bureau Bill 2018 were significant prerequisites in so far as the establishment of the East African Monetary Union is concerned. “These are key instruments expected to shield us from the volatilities associated with operating different monetary and exchange rate policies in the Partner States”, Speaker Ngoga said.
Over the next two weeks, EALA is expected to dispense with the EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2019 and debate on a number of reports that shall be furnished from its Standing Committees. EALA will also adopt salient motions as well as table a number of questions to the Council of Ministers. In addition, the Assembly expects to meet with a number of stakeholders, including the EAC Kiswahili Commission, the Inter-University Council of East Africa, the Doris Mollel Foundation and the Africa Palliative Care Association as part and parcel of its people-centred approach to strengthening integration.
Speaker of Zanzibar House of Representatives Rt Hon Zubeir Ali Maulid lauded the decision to hold the Sitting in Zanzibar saying it would concretize the relationship between both Assemblies and the people of East Africa. EALA Member, Hon Abdikadir Aden, delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the regional legislators.
-ENDS-
For more information, contact
Bobi Odiko,
Senior Public Relations Officer,
East African Legislative Assembly,
P.O. Box 1096, Arusha, Tanzania.
Cell. +255-787-870945
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org.
Web: www.eala.org
