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The Secretary-General highlighted several achievements in EAC integration, including the introduction of the electronic EAC Passport, removal of visa requirements between EAC partner states, issuance of gratis student passes, implementation of the Single Customs Territory, and adoption of a four-band structure.
East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Veronica Nduva, has emphasized the need for the regional private sector to align national interests with regional benefits to enhance economic integration and growth.
Nduva made the remarks during the recent Secretary-General Roundtable in Nairobi, hosted by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
According to a statement posted on the EAC Secretariat website, this roundtable is a key platform for driving regional economic integration, improving the business climate and ensuring the private sector’s voice is incorporated into policymaking.
The Secretary-General highlighted several achievements in EAC integration, including the introduction of the electronic EAC Passport, removal of visa requirements between EAC partner states, issuance of gratis student passes, implementation of the Single Customs Territory, and adoption of a four-band structure. The region is projected to grow by 5.1 percent this year and 5.7 percent in 2025, surpassing global and Sub-Saharan African averages.
Ms Nduva noted that the regional private sector needs to find a balance between safeguarding national interests and promoting regional benefits. She provided an update on intra-EAC trade, which increased by 14 percent to 12.2 billion US dollars in 2023 from 10.7 billion US dollars in 2022, representing 13 percent of total EAC trade with the rest of the world. She added that total EAC trade grew by 2.3 percent to 80.6 billion US dollars in 2023 from 78.7 billion US dollars in 2022.
The Secretary-General urged the private sector to invest in key growth sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, and services, to promote regional integration, trade, and investment. She acknowledged the progress made but emphasized that more work is needed. The EAC Customs Union has successfully eliminated tariffs on intra-regional trade since 2005, resulting in a notable over 60 percent increase in intra-EAC trade.
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The introduction of the Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) reporting platform has greatly facilitated trade within the EAC. With over 1,000 standards harmonized, intra-EAC trade has been streamlined, ensuring consistent quality and safety of products and services, Nduva noted. The intra-EAC and inter-regional trade increase now includes more manufactured products, such as textiles, chemicals, edible oil, cement, iron and steel, cosmetics, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.
