Germany commits up to 42.9 Million Euros to support EAC
Programmes on regional and social integration aim at advancing previous achievements such as customs union and common market
German delegation stresses EAC's impact in fight against COVID-19
On the 23rd/24th of November, the EAC Secretariat and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany successfully concluded their Government negotiations on development cooperation at the EAC Secretariat’s headquarter in Arusha, Tanzania. In total, Germany committed up to 42.9 Euros for the next two years.
The negotiations were led by the honourable Secretary General of the East African Community Secretariat, H.E. Ambassador Libérat Mfumukeko, and Mr. Marcus von Essen, Head of the East Africa Division at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). While BMZ participated virtually, due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, H.E. Regine Hess, Ambassador of Germany to Tanzania and the EAC, joined the negotiations in Arusha.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, Friday, 23rd October, 2020: The East African Community and the French Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania by the EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko and the Ambassador of France to Tanzania accredited at EAC, H.E. Frédéric Clavier.
The objective of the MoU is to establish a framework of cooperation and facilitate the Parties’ strategic partnership to draw on expertise and support collaborative initiatives to sustain the EAC Integration Agenda. Highlighted in the five (5) year MoU are the key priority areas of cooperation that the two parties seek to explore. These include Energy, Climate Change and Biodiversity, Industry, Private Sector Development and Investment Promotion, Customs and Trade, Financial Sector, and Capacity Building and Project Development. For the purpose of concretizing cooperation in the earmarked sectors, the Government of France will mobilize different actors and instruments.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, Wednesday, 7th October, 2020: The EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, Manfredo Fanti and the Secretary General of the EAC, H.E. Libérat Mfumukeko, today launched a new EUR 16,400,000 (approx. 43.87 billion TZS) joint programme to strengthen regional economic integration, through advancing implementation of the Customs Union and Common Market Protocols.
In particular, the Common Objectives in Regional Economic Integration (CORE) programme will be instrumental in moving towards a fully-fledged Customs Union, by supporting more robust information, communication and technology (ICT) based data exchange protocols for the clearing of goods. Thanks to digital solutions, customs operations will be simpler, quicker, as well as safer during this pandemic situation thereby resulting in a reduction of the costs of cross-border trade.
Support to East African Market Driven and People Centred Integration East Africa (SEAMPEC) to focus on value addition and trade
Pandemic preparedness to continue to focus on the prevention of and response to infectious disease outbreaks of public health concern in the region
Implementation building on and expanding the scope of successful programme outcomes
The East African Community Secretariat and the EAC GIZ programme supporting East African Integration on behalf of the German Government, today signed an implementation agreement worth US$16 million for continuing support for EAC regional integration through their SEAMPEC and Pandemic Preparedness programmes.
The programmes are managed through the EAC-GIZ partnership to continue to grow regional economic and social integration which already has a significant impact in the region.
The SEAMPEC programme, through its multiple cross-cutting initiatives, takes a holistic approach to regional integration that encompasses civil society as well as the public and private sectors. Through targeted work in sectors including agro-processing, pharmaceuticals as well as services sectors such as tourism and ICT, SEAMPEC aims to facilitate the improvement of framework conditions to help create more competitive industries and cross border opportunities.
“GIZ and the Secretariat have been developing and managing key projects working with partners across the EAC region with a focus on making the Common Market, Customs Union and integration a reality.
Through the SEAMPEC programme many businesses and civil society organisations have all benefited from collaborating on the ground and high-level networking and coalition activities. We are proud to continue to implement programmes which are showing real results and bringing tangible benefits to the citizens of the EAC,” said Dr Mike Falke, GIZ Country Director for Tanzania and EAC.
Another US$3 million of the funding are going towards the ‘Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region’ project, which started in March 2017 and entered its second phase in September 2019. This project is working closely with the EAC to implement the Regional Contingency Plan under the interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral One Health approach and to establish the discipline of risk and crisis communication in the region.
The project supports the EAC Secretariat in its coordinating and advisory role in the prevention and response to cross-border outbreaks. The project builds on important preparatory work and ensures that when pandemic health threats become a reality, EAC countries are in the best position to respond.
“Diseases such as Ebola and Dengue Fever are claiming lives and destroying livelihoods right now. High population density, increasing cross-border trade, climate change and many other factors increase the risk of spreading these infectious diseases. Being ready to respond and having the tools and expertise to be effective in emergency situations is crucial,” said Irene Lukassowitz, GIZ project manager. Following a successful cross border field simulation exercise between Kenya and Tanzania in June 2019, another field simulation exercise at the border between South Sudan and Uganda in 2020 will prepare the region even better.
“Germany's development cooperation, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU), has to date contributed to the regional integration in East Africa through a variety of programmes and projects aimed at building up regional expertise and value adding to trade, industrial development, innovation and investment. GIZ has been working with the EAC for over 20 years, building capacities and expertise at the EAC Secretariat and for regional stakeholders.
SEAMPEC and the Pandemic Preparedness programme already have many achievements, and by continuing to grow these initiatives and invest in their successes we are confident that real EAC development is happening,” said Dr Kirsten Focken, GIZ Cluster Coordinator.
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The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany announced additional funds of US$128 million (EUR 115.8 million) today which will be supporting health and education programmes in the East African Community.
The majority of the funds (US$105 million [EUR 95 million]) will be going towards the EAC’s immunization programme with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The EAC Secretary General, Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jörg Herrera, jointly signed the Agreement in Arusha today.
East African Community, Sandton, South Africa 13th November, 2019: The East African Community (EAC) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) signed a strategic partnership agreement at the African Investment Forum in South Africa.
The strategic partnership with EAC will enable the DBSA to support collaborative initiatives that will crowd-in resources for the development of infrastructure that promotes regional integration. The partners will also work together on project preparation and ultimately co-financing of projects and capacity building.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th November, 2019: The 2nd East African Community Development Partner’ Group (DPG) Thematic Groups (TGs) meeting on Infrastructure and Economic Integration was convened at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The key objective of the thematic groups meeting was to discuss thematic strategic issues in details, while ensuring alignment with Development Partners’ respective strategic goals and also resource implications.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 2nd August, 2019: The Federal Republic of Germany has committed Euro 35 million to East African Community to be invested in vaccination programmes in the Partner States.
Speaking at the EAC headquarters, Senior Policy Officer from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Ms Claudia Imwolde-Krämer said Germany is contributing Euro 35 million to immunization programmes in the EAC. “I appreciate and acknowledge the EAC’s efforts to immunize every child in the region”.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 21st March, 2019: The Director General for Eastern Africa Region at the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr. Gabriel Negatu has pledged more support to agriculture and industrialization in the East African Community (EAC) bloc.
The Director General made the statement yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on the EAC Secretary General Amb Liberat Mfumukeko at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. He noted that investment in agriculture and industrialization is the crucial for the development of the region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th February, 2019: The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany committed a grant of over USD 35 million (EUR 31.5 million) to the East African Community (EAC) to further support the regional organisation in the areas of health, regional economic integration and education.
The EAC Secretary General, Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko, and the German Ambassador to the EAC, Dr. Detlef Wächter, jointly signed the Agreements in Arusha today.
