EA BUSINESS CAPTAINS ROOT FOR ONE COVID-19 JAB

The East African Community (EAC) has been urged to develop a common Covid-19 vaccination certificate by December this year.

Business captains in the region say this would enable mutual recognition and eliminate the current high transaction costs of Covid-19 testing.

Common Covid-19 certificate would as well boost the regional trade, travel and tourism which are key for economic recovery from the pandemic.

This was one of the resolutions made at the round table meeting for chief executive officers of the apex national private sector associations convened by the East African Business Council (EABC) in Nairobi last Tuesday.

John Bosco Kalisa, EABC executive director it was pertinent that the six nation bloc harmonized anti Covid-19 strategies through, among others, having a  common vaccination certificate.

Ms Carole Kariuki,the chief executive officer  of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) said her country was ready to collaborate with five other partner states in the drive.

"Kepsa rolled out Covid-19 vaccination drive for the private sector and today (Tuesday) we agreed to undertake similar drives across all EAC

partner states", she said.

She called for closer private sector collaboration in marketing and

boosting the competitiveness of made-in-East African products to the larger AfricanContinental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market.

EABC Chairman Nick Nesbitt, said the EAC bloc is the most integrated
regional economic community in Africa and elaborated the vaccine roll-out strategy for the region.

The chief executive officer of  Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) stressed that the public have to be adequately sensitized on the benefits of the continental trade pact.

Tanzania recently ratified the AfCFTA agreement, becoming the fifth EAC member country to do so after Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. South Sudan is yet to ratify the pact.

Juma Charles, a representative of South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture said his country has finally removed visa fees for Ugandans and Kenyans visiting their country.

On his part, the secretary general Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi Nshimirimana Denis urged for 'Buy East African, Build East Africa' campaign in order to boost intra-regional trade.

Francis Kisirinya, Ag. CEO of Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU)

called for deeper public-private dialogue at the country and regional level "to ensure policies are business-centered".

Mr. Kalisa commended the recent bilateral engagement by Tanzania and Kenya which, according to him, resolved 72 non-tariff barriers (NTBs).

However, the EABC boss said dozens of trade barriers were still there and called for the amendment of the NTBs Act to include sanctions and clear timelines to resolve the notorious barriers.

Ms. Waturi Matu, TMEA Senior Private Sector Technical Advisor to EAC recommended uniform implementation of COVID-19 protocols and amicable solutions to re-open closed borders in the EAC bloc.

The round table meeting agreed to hold quarterly engagements to address " new and chronic trade issues and share best practices and appreciated the goodwill from the EAC secretariat".