Shortly after his controversial electoral victory in early 2019, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi sought to get his country admitted into the East African Community. Recently, the East African Community ministers recommended the DRC’s admission, a decision set to be formalised by the bloc’s …
Read More »How EAC can maximise AfCFTA trade opportunities
Experts outline ways in which partner states can benefit from the bloc | THE INDEPENDENT | Before COVID-19 hit world economies two years ago, there was optimism that Africa’s flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would quickly reshape markets across the …
Read More »EAC member countries record 4.2 pct economic growth in 2021
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Xinhua | The 25th Ordinary meeting of the East African Community (EAC) monetary affairs committee has said growth in the region recovered in 2021 to an average of 4.2 percent, the EAC said in a communique late on Friday. The communique released at the end of …
Read More »East African countries to hold joint military drills in Uganda
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 1,500 troops from the six East African Community (EAC) member states are scheduled to carry out joint drills in Uganda, the UPDF said on Wednesday. The military in a statement issued said the troops from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan will …
Read More »Debt control, tax harmonization to fuel EAC trade
There is more of expanding markets than harmonization, experts say Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The East African member states have been urged to tangibly manage debt and harmonise tax regimes to support growth of the East African Community. Speaking at a dialogue, on Feb.11 held in Kampala, under …
Read More »AfCFTA: EAC agree on ‘Tariff-free Imports’
Arusha, Tanzania | THE INDEPENDENT | The East African Community member-countries have agreed on the list of goods on which the countries will remove tariffs when trading with the rest of the continent, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 10 years. The countries adopted the EAC Tariff …
Read More »East Africa plans integrated approach to reap from migration
Kigali, Rwanda | THE INDEPENDENT | The East African Community (EAC) is consulting widely on ways of streamlining migration in the region to make it more beneficial to the development of the member countries. The ministers in charge of EAC, internal and labour, directorates of immigration from the region, as …
Read More »Traders slam Uganda, Rwanda over partial border reopening
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Trade rights advocates in the region have decided not to withdraw their case against the governments of Uganda and Rwanda over the closure of the border almost three years ago, even after Rwanda announced it was re-opening it. Rather, the groups, the Eastern African Sub-Regional …
Read More »Muhoozi’s Rwanda mission
What next after Rwanda re-opens border? Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | The latest attempt at improving Uganda Rwanda relations registered some significant steps forward with Rwanda re-opening its border to Uganda on Jan. 31 nearly three years after it was closed. In addition, Uganda replaced Maj. Gen. Abel Kandiho, …
Read More »Clerk to Parliament lauds EALA for steering integration
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige, has lauded the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) for working towards the realisation of East African integration. Mwesige said that East African integration lies in the hands of the EALA legislators even after their retirement. “I thank you for …
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