East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 19 September 2017:
The Federal Republic of Germany will continue providing technical and financial support to the East African Community Partner.
The two priority areas for German support to the EAC are regional economic integration and health with German support since 1998 adding up to 285 million euros.
The Deputy Head of the East Africa Division of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Mr. Georg Rademacher, disclosed that in the last two years alone, Germany has committed 60 million euros for the procurement of life-saving vaccines for children in the EAC.
Mr. Rademacher further said Germany had also allocated 4 million euros for a Centre of Excellence for Information and Communication Technology, 3 million euros for pandemic preparedness and another 5 million euros to support a scholarship programme.
“These commitments were all done on top of the 67 million euros pledged during government negotiations in 2015,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of incorporating the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders in EAC activities, adding that they are key drivers for effective implementation and deeper integration.
Mr. Rademacher was speaking during the opening session of one-day bilateral consultations on development cooperation between Germany and the EAC. The talks were aimed at coming up with a new development cooperation framework for the 2019-2022 period.
In his remarks, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, the EAC Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, noted that the EAC-German Cooperation 2019-2022 comes against the backdrop of positive economic performance in the region that was realized under the 4th EAC Development Strategy 2012-2017.
Hon. Bazivamo said cooperation between the EAC and Germany had resulted in notable achievements in health and pharmaceutical sectors; trade and customs; promotion of gender and education; monetary harmonization; institutional capacity strengthening and support to the Partnership Fund.
Germany’s Ambassador to the EAC, Dr. Dieter Waechter, said the cooperation between Germany and the EAC goes back a long way, adding that it had strengthened bilateral relations in addition to enabling the EAC make major milestones in the integration process.
Also present at the function were the GIZ Country Director Ernst Hustädt, KfW (German Development Bank) Tanzania Office Director Dr. Helmut Schön, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote and the Director General, Customs and Trade, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda. Others were the Lake Victorian Basin Commission Executive Secretary, Dr. Said Ali Matano, the Inter-University Council of East Africa Executive Secretary, Prof Alexandre Lyambabaje, and Dr. Anthony Kafumbe, the Counsel to the Community.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
A one-day meeting between the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat and the United States Agency for Development (USAID) on the operationalization of the five-year Regional Development Objectives Grant Agreement (RDOAG) kicked off at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania today.
USAID granted EAC US$194 million under the RDOAG which was launched in November last year, monies that will be spent on shared development goals over the next five years.
Speaking during the opening session of the meeting, USAID Deputy Mission Director for Kenya and East Africa, Ms. Candace Buzzard, said the RDOAG provides for: changes in the way USAID will do its business; strengthen USAID-EAC Partnership; stronger collaboration, coordination and communication, and; institutional strengthening.
Ms. Buzzard said USAID will coordinate more closely with the EAC to ensure better delivery of project goals. In his remarks, EAC Secretary General Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko noted that USAID’s gesture had sent a strong signal of its desire to support the Community attain its goals.
Amb. Mfumukeko said the USAID contribution would enable the Community to achieve many things. Out of the US$194 million, about US$30 million will finance institutional strengthening within the EAC Secretariat while the remainder will support other development partners in their efforts to contribute to the EAC regional integration agenda.
Among the sectors to be funded under the RDOAG include health, environment and natural resources, climate change, trade, security of populations and energy.
A High Level Dialogue between the officials of the East African Community and the Development Partners concluded on 6th December 2016, in Dar es salaam, Tanzania, with the Development Partners commending the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko for his outstanding work and commitment in enhancing efficiency of EAC processes and procedures through introduction of reforms.
At the dialogue, held at the official residence of the Norwegian Ambassador to United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Hanne-Marie Kaarstad, the Development Partners expressed renewed confidence in EAC with UK, Canada, France and Turkey committing to resume contributions to the EAC through the Partnership Fund in the next financial year.
The Secretary General was accompanied by Hon. Christophe Bavizamo, Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors; Hon. Jesca Eriyo, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration; and other Senior Officers from the EAC Secretariat.
Prior to the dialogue, the Secretary General met and held discussions with H.E. Hanne-Marie Kaarstad, the Norwegian Ambassador, who is also the Chair of the Partnership Fund High Level Committee. Their discussions revolved around the future of the Partnership Fund including the succession of the Partnership Fund Chairmanship and recruitment of a dedicated Manager for the Fund. She expressed her appreciation for the outstanding work the Secretary General had exhibited since he took over the leadership of the Community. H.E. Hanne-Marie has been the Chair of the Committee for the last 3 years and will be completing her term on 31st December 2016.
On the same day, the Secretary General held a series of meetings with several Development Partners in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to update them on the regional integration agenda and discuss possibilities of further collaboration.
EAC – EU cooperation
The Secretary General met the Head of European Delegation to United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Amb. Roeland van de Geer to discuss the EAC – EU cooperation, specifically the implementation of Euro 85 Million allocated under EDF 11.
EAC-Turkish Cooperation
The Secretary General met H.E. Yasemin Eralp, the Turkish Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania. During the meeting, the Secretary General urged the Turkish government to consider identifying areas of potential cooperation with EAC. The Turkish Ambassador on her part expressed her Government’s interest to contribute to the Partnership Fund, and collaborate with EAC in areas of Trade, Investment, and Agriculture.
EAC- Germany Cooperation
The Secretary General and H.E. Egon Kochanke, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Republic of Tanzania, signed a EURO 7 Million with the Federal Republic of Germany to support Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region and the establishment of an Academic Center for Digital Innovation in East Africa. This is the second Agreement between EAC and the Government of Germany this financial year. On 23rd November EAC signed a EURO 40 Million agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany and KfW Development Bank to support immunization programmes in the EAC and operations of the Regional Laboratory Network for Communicable Diseases.
EAC-China Cooperation
The Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko met the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Lu Youqing. During the meeting, the Secretary General appreciated the contribution by the Chinese Government to the ongoing Inter-Burundi Dialogue. He acknowledged receipt of US$ 200,000 in the EAC Secretariat’s accounts as support to the Office of the Facilitator of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue. The Chinese Ambassador reiterated his Government’s commitment to supporting EAC in the investment, Industry and Environment and Wildlife Conservation. The People’s Republic of China also expressed interest to enter into a unilateral Free Trade Area Agreement with EAC and it was ready to commence discussions with the EAC towards this end.
