CHECK
AGAINST DELIVERY
SPEECH
BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF EAC HEADS OF STATE AT THE 16TH SUMMIT OF EAC HEADS
OF STATE AT THE KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, NAIROBI, KENYA
ON 20TH
FEBRUARY, 2015
Your
Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya,
Immediate Past Chair and Host of This
Summit;
Your
Excellency Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda;
Your
Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda;
Your
Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi;
Your
Excellency Salva Kiir Myardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan;
The
Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Honourable Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe;
Honourable
Ministers;
The
Secretary General of the East African Community;
The
Honourable Speaker of EALA;
His
Lordship Judge President of EACJ;
Members
of EALA and National Parliaments;
Members
of the Diplomatic Corps;
Distinguished
Guests;
Ladies
and Gentlemen;
Excellencies;
I thank you President Uhuru Kenyatta
and the people of Kenya for the warm reception and gracious hospitality. This is befitting Kenyan hospitality that we
know. We don’t feel like strangers when
in Nairobi. You always make us feel at
home away from home. We are gratified,
indeed.
I commend the East African Community Secretariat
under the able leadership of our illustrious Secretary General, Ambassador Dr.
Richard Sezibera for the good preparations and organization of this
Summit.
Excellencies;
I thank you for the trust and confidence you
have reposed in me and my country. I
promise you that I will do my best to live up to your expectation. I will not let you down nor will my
government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania. I commend
my predecessor, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, for steering the affairs of our
regional economic grouping so well. In the
past one year of his leadership a lot has been achieved as it has been very
well documented in the Report of the Chairperson of the Council of
Ministers. It has been one year of good harvest for our region. I am here to assure you of Tanzania’s
commitment to stay the course and propel our integration process to greater
heights. Taking over from your good work and strong foundation makes my task
ahead to be easy. We will build on your achievements
and take our Community to the next level.
Tanzania
and EAC
Excellencies;
To us in Tanzania, as it is the case
with all East African Community partner states, regional integration is a
matter of both principle and policy. We
are staunch supporters of the integration process and formidable believers in
African Unity and the East African economic and political integration. We strongly believe that, a divided East Africa,
will not be able to claim its rightful place and earn respect in the family of nations
on the African continent and on this planet.
We are aware that fragmented markets, isolated industrial value chains,
as well as inadequate cross border infrastructure, have no place in the world
that we live in today, and the one ahead of us.
We also, sincerely believe that the best and
easiest way to realize continental unity and integration, in Africa, is through
regional integration as building blocks.
That is why East African integration
is very dear and crucial to all of us gathered here. This is why we, in
Tanzania wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the
East African Community. Rest assured
that the East African Community is in very safe hands.
The
State of the EAC
Excellencies;
As we meet here today, and as very
elaborately explained by President Kenyatta and Honourable Dr. Mwakyembe, a lot
of ground has been covered in the implementation of the East African
cooperation and integration agenda. It is heartwarming indeed, to note that trade
has increased in a very big way. And,
the good thing is, all partner states are realizing the benefits. As we all know very well, trade is the life
line of our integration endeavours. In many ways trade drives and holds
together any integration process.
Formal intra-East African Community trade for
the period from 2010 to 2013 increased from USD 3,722.9 million to USD
5,805.6 million. There was 6.1
percent increase in trade between 2012 and 2013 alone which is quite
remarkable. This is not a small
achievement at all. It is not merely a
matter of numbers, because beneath these numbers lies contacts, relationships
and lives touched as well as households transformed. If informal trade statistics
were to be captured and included, certainly the volume and value of the trade
in the East Africa Community region could be even higher.
It is high
time we sought better ways of formalizing the informal sector and informal
trade in the integration process. This
way important economic statistics and information will be captured. Also, government revenues will be
collected. In this regard, we should direct
our energy to supporting small and informal businesses by putting in place
enabling environment that includes capacity building, provision of technical
and financial services. In the meantime,
we should do all within our power to take requisite action to eliminate all outstanding
non-tariff barriers.
Custom
Union
Excellencies;
The East African Community’s flagship integration
institution, the Customs Union, is working well. Currently, all goods produced in East Africa
which conform to the agreed principle of Rules of Origin, are moving across the
borders of the five Partner States duty free.
The Customs Union has continued
to show positive impact on the economies of East African Community partners states. Government revenues have been increasing year
after year. Customs revenue performance for example, was 96.86 percent of the target in 2013 compared to 89.55 percent in 2010. Customs revenues contributed on the average to
about 35 percent of total revenues
of the Partner States in 2013. This is a momentous achievement.
I believe we could have achieved much more had
we succeeded in removing all non tariff barriers. We should do all within our powers to take
requisite action to eliminate all outstanding non-tariff barriers. It is in this regard, therefore, I intend to
work closely with all of you in ensuring that non-tariff barriers no longer
become scourge encumbering the smooth operation of the Customs Union and Common
Market in East Africa.
Excellencies;
Work towards full operationalization of the
East Africa Single Customs Territory is also progressing well in all countries. So far, so good. It has proven to be useful in reducing
non-tariff barriers associated with unnecessary delays in cross border trade
and transportation. It also promotes
transparency and efficiency in tax and revenue collection. The
full realization of Single Customs Territory will be a big leap forward in our
resolve to increase flow of trade and efficiency within the Customs Union. It
makes implementation of the objectives of the Customs Union easier and faster.
It is encouraging to note the good work being
done by East African Community partner states, individually or in collaboration
with others, of improving physical infrastructure in the region. There is visible progress in roads, ports,
airports, railways and power subsectors and several related sectors and
sub-sectors. However, there is need to
do a lot more because there is a huge infrastructure deficit in our respective
countries and in the region at large. We
must seek to do better on mobilization of domestic and external resources for
infrastructure development to match with the pace of our fast moving integration.
EAC
Common Market
Excellencies;
The ongoing implementation of the Common
Market Protocol and the laying of the foundation for the Monetary Union is set
to propel our region to become the most advanced regional integration undertaking
on the African continent. However, the
2014 East African Common Market Score Card indicated a slow trend and progress
by member states in the implementation of some of aspects of the Common Market
Protocol. Fortunately, key recommendations have been proposed on increasing the
pace of implementation. All of us must
ensure full implementation of these recommendations.
With regard to Free Movements of Services, for
example, we are told, 63 measures
out of 500 key sectoral laws and
regulations of partner states were indentified to be inconsistent with the
Common Market Protocol. Strangely, professional
services accounted for 73 percent of these. In terms of movement of goods, the scorecard
appreciates that, a lot has been done, however, non tariff barriers,
particularly those related to sanitary and phytosanitary measures remain
notorious. Only two out of the 20 capital operations are free of restrictions in
all partner states. These are those related
to external borrowing by residents and repatriation of proceeds from sale of
asset.
We should
be grateful that we have with us a tool we can use to measure progress and
guide future action. It is important
that we undertake to play our part accordingly, based on the findings and
recommendations.
EAC
Monetary Union
Excellencies;
Let us remain focused on the implementation of
the Road Map on the Monetary Union.
Specifically, let us make sure that the timelines agreed by all of us
are observed. I further, call upon Partner States to fast track the process of
attaining the Macro-Economic Convergence Criteria which is a critical factor in
the implementation of the objectives of the East African Community Monetary
Union.
As we all know, this stage consummates the East
African Community economic integration agenda and, it is the last but one step to
the ultimate destiny of the East African Federation. For sure, successful implementation of this
stage will enable us to move to the political federation with greater
confidence. We in Tanzania reaffirm our readiness and commitment to walk in step
with the other partner states in ensuring that the East African Community integration
process stays the course and succeeds.
Peace
and Stability in the EAC
Excellencies;
East Africa is a region
that can demonstrate with confidence that development and peace are intertwined. As a matter of fact, we can attribute our
success in integration to the peace dividend that we enjoy. Peace, security, and stability are the
lifeline to any meaningful integration. It
ensures predictability in planning and is fundamental in attracting investments,
promoting trade and unobstructed movement of people within the Community.
If we are to realize the fullest potential of
our integration, we must continue to nurture the peace and stability we
have. We ought to cooperate everywhere
and at all levels to secure our region. Fortunately, we are already doing that
at the moment, but we should always aspire to do better. I wish to acknowledge and commend the security
cooperation that is taking good shape among the defence and security organs of
the partner states. Such cooperation
compliments the East African Community integration process. It is important that we continue to encourage
and strengthen this cooperation to prosper. We should continue to assist other brothers
and sisters of South Sudan and Somalia in their just quest for sustainable
peace and security in their respective countries. I would like to assure them that we will
continue to support them until peace is stored.
Excellencies;
This year will be
politically exciting for the region. As President
Uhuru Kenyatta has alluded to earlier, we are all aware, the Republic of
Burundi will be going to the polls in May 2015 and my own country, the United
Republic of Tanzania will be holding the General Elections in October, 2015. For
Tanzania, also, in April, 2015 we will hold a referendum on the Proposed New
Constitution. Both elections and the Tanzanian
Referendum present a great opportunity for the two East African Community partner
states to advance democracy, governance and stability which define and
distinguish our region. It is, also, an
opportunity for our region to demonstrate to the entire world and to our own
people, that democracy reigns and democratic values have taken root in our midst.
Conclusion
Excellencies;
As I assume the Chairmanship, I look at the
future of our Community with a great sense of optimism, pride, trust and confidence
and for even bigger achievements in future.
The milestones that we have covered and challenges we have endured, have
made us stronger and better prepared to perform even better in future. I reiterate Tanzania’s commitment and
readiness to do everything within our power to steer the affairs of the East
African Community to greater heights of success during our term of leadership.
The success of our integration depends on all
of us: leaders, nations and most importantly, the people who are the main purpose
of forming the East African Community.
Mine is the humble task of steering our collective efforts. If it is said that it takes the whole village
to raise a child, certainly, it takes all of us to nurture a successful East
African Community. It can be done, let
us all play our part. Tanzania will surely play its part accordingly.
With these many
words, I thank you for your kind attention.
ASANTENI
SANA KWA KUNISIKILIZA!