CABINET APPROVES THE NATIONAL POLICY ON EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY INTEGRATION Consistent with its mandate and functions, the MEACA has developed a National Policy framework to guide Uganda’s engagement with and the successful integration into EAC. Uganda is one of the founding members of the EAC and was instrumental in its revival in 1996. This commitment is manifest in the attainment of the EAC Customs Union, the ongoing implementation of the Common Market Protocol, and the recent signing of the protocol for the establishment of the EAC Monetary Union. The customs Union has in particular, catalyzed remarkable trade expansion. Intra EAC trade grew by 35% between 2005 and 2013. Uganda’s export to Kenya more than doubled from USD 174million in 2005 to USD 385 Million in 2013, while Tanzania’s exports to Kenya over the same period also more than doubled, from USD 93 Million to USD 228 Million. This pattern is projected to further improve with the full implementation of the Common Market which came into force in July 2010 and the Monitory Union whose protocol was signed on 30th November 2013. This increased trade and investment among the EAC partner States has broadened prospects for Economic growth and development. Cross-border trade has become easier for Ugandans as a result of coordinated trade policies between Uganda and the other EAC partner states. This is witnessed in the recent measures which have eased the movement of goods from Mombasa to Kampala from 21 days to 5 days. The EAC has furthermore increased Uganda’s negotiating capacity in multilateral and bilateral engagements including the ongoing negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union and the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the United States of America. The opportunities cited above which have been created by the EAC have benefited Uganda positively enabling her to diversify her export base within the region from predominantly agricultural products to industrial output such as iron sheets, cement and plastics which has earned the country valuable foreign exchange. Inspite of these achievements, EAC integration is still in its infancy, with many benefits yet to materialize. The policy framework therefore will facilitate a more coherent engagement, with Uganda claiming its rightful share of the benefits of co-operation which cannot simply taken for granted. In relation to the National Development Plan and the Visison 2040, the vision of the National Policy on EAC integration is ‘’A Transformed Ugandan Society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country fully integrated within the East African Community’’ The mission is to ‘’Define the priority sectors, implementation framework and strategies to enable Uganda and her citizens to maximize benefits accruing from EAC integration’’ The Goal of the Policy is’’ to improve market access and competitiveness of Ugandan firms within the EAC to enable Ugandans reap benefits of EAC integration’’ Cabinet therefore noted the development of the National Policy on EAC integration and approved it.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 03:07:16 +0000
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