Competition Experts Draft EAC Competition Authority Outreach and Advocacy Strategy
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 29th March, 2019: A four-days Competition Experts Consultative Meeting to draft the East African Competition Authority (EACA) Outreach and Advocacy Strategy (2019/20 – 2024/25) concluded today in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The 26th – 29th March, 2019 meeting was attended by Competition and Communication Experts from all the Partner States and staff from the EAC Secretariat.
Rwanda is the current chair of the EAC hence according to the EAC Rules of Procedures, Mr. Louis Uwimana, from Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, chaired the meeting while, Mr. Salvator Gaspar Chuwa, from the Fair Competition Commission of in Tanzania was the Rapporteur.
Addressing the Experts during the official opening of the meeting, the Chairperson thanked the Burundi for hosting the meeting and reminded particip[ants that the EACA was a new institution of the Community mandated to promote and protect fair competition, safeguard consumer welfare in the EAC.
Chuwa reiterated the need to develop the EACA Outreach and Advocacy Strategy, which is expected to facilitate and strengthen stakeholder awareness on competition matters. He further said that the Strategy would ease enforcement of the EAC Competition Act, 2006 by the Partner States.
On her part, Ms. Lillian Mukoronia, the Deputy Registrar of EACA in charge of Mergers and Acquisition, commended Partner States for their continued support and cooperation in the operationalization of EACA.
She noted that many stakeholders have limited knowledge on the role of competition policy in the Community markets yet competition enforcement was critical if the region is to achieve the visions of having optimal open markets.
Ms.Mukoronia further said that the EACA Outreach and Advocacy Strategy is a tool expected to be used in raising awareness and advocacy on competition policy benefits in the region.
The Deputy Registrar affirmed that the EACA Outreach and Advocacy Strategy had been informed by critical documents in the regional integration agenda namely; the EAC Competition Act, 2006; the EACA Strategic Plan (2019/20 – 2023/24); the 5th EAC Development Strategy (2016/17 – 2020/21); and the EAC Communication Policy and Strategy. She noted that the Strategy will complement the existing EAC Communication Policy and Strategy.
The draft EAC Competition Authority Outreach and Advocacy Strategy (2019/20 – 2024/25) developed during the meeting will undergo further enrichment by the Partner States and the Secretariat before submission to the EACA Commissioners for consideration and approval.
-ENDS-
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.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified