BURUNDI PRESIDENT CONCERNED BY LOW TRADE IN THE EAC

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

EALA Members posing with the President of the Republic of Burundi,  Evariste Ndayishimiye

A call has been made to address factors hindering the growth of the internal market in  East Africa.

Burundi leader Evariste Ndayishimiye said the drawback has limited the share of  regional trade in the global economy.

He raised his concern last week when he addressed the first session of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to be held in his country for nearly a decade.

He challenged the organs and institutions of the East African Community (EAC) to jointly work hard to address the matter.

"A larger EAC internal market is key for increased share of the region's trade in the global economy", he pointed out.

President Ndayishimiye, who is the current EAC Chair, also called for increased resources to EALA to enable it to fully fulfill its oversight mandate.

Requisite resources, he said, were needed  to fund EALA committees so as to enable them to undertake their oversight, outreach and even sensitization activities effectively. 

He added that East Africans must be adequately sensitized in order to increase the bloc's visibility, especially the private sector and the civil society.

Eala Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana lauded Burundi for its relentless efforts to bring peace to Somalia, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He said the House was particularly impressed by efforts of the EAC Chair on the African Union (AU)-mandated Nairobi peace process in eastern DR Congo.

EAC Council of Ministers chairperson Amb Ezechiel Nibigira said Burundians are set to benefit from the EALA session currently taking place in the country's commercial capital of Bujumbura.

"The move is a good opportunity for the citizens of Burundi to learn more about the Community", said the Amb who is also Burundi minister for EAC Affairs.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Burundi,  Gelase Daniel Ndabirabe, said he would collaborate with Eala to unlock the great opportunities that exist for the EAC citizens.

Since its inauguration, the 5^th Assembly in Arusha last December, there had been repeated calls to grant the House administrative autonomy.

The EAC Council of Ministers  has been requested to fully implement the Administrative of  EALA Act, 2012, which grants EALA administrative and financial autonomy.

This, the legislators as well as other stakeholders believe will improve the efficiency of the Assembly in achieving its mandate.

The Assembly has also been requesting the EAC Heads of State Summit as well as the Council to review the EAC Treaty which was published in 2001.

The Treaty was signed on November 30th, 1999  and came into force on July 1st in 2000  when the EAC consisted of only three partner states: Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

A review of the Treaty is necessary to align the document with the growth and changes that have so far taken place in the Community.