Germany hails Partner States’ commitment to EAC Integration
The Federal Republic of Germany has hailed the commitment of the five East African Community (EAC) Partner States to the EAC integration process.
The Deputy Director General for Sub-Saharan Africa at the German Foreign Office, Mr George Schmidt, at the same time said that Germany would continue to promote trade and development co-operation with the EAC.
Mr Schmidt disclosed that Germany’s support for regional integration was based on her post-World War II reconstruction efforts especially the benefits occasioned by closer co-operation with Europe.
“For us, regional integration was not a loss of sovereignty but the regaining of sovereignty. That is why Germans have an ease when dealing with regional integration”, said Mr Schmidt, adding for the African continent, regional integration was a good way of mitigating the artificial boundaries drawn by the European colonial powers.
Mr Schmidt observed that the EAC Partner States had a long history of integration noting that it was encouraging that the Community was actively engaging the private sector, civil society and ordinary East Africans in the integration process.
Mr Schmidt was addressing the annual meeting of political advisers for Economic Co-operation and Development at the East African Legislative Assembly plenary hall in Arusha, Tanzania. The focus of this year’s meeting was on the aspect of regional economic and political integration, especially the role of Regional Economic Communities in Africa.
Mr Schmidt led a 60-person delegation who engaged staff of the EAC on pertinent issues on regional integration in East Africa and by extension the African continent.
The Director of Infrastructure at the EAC Secretariat, Mr Philip Wambugu, who represented the Secretary General praised Germany for its assistance to the EAC dating back many years.
“The German Federal Government was the first development partner in 1997 to commit technical and financial assistance to the re-established Community and renewed integration efforts. Since then, the partnership has been growing and deepening and to date, German support in the EAC at the regional level exceeds 200 million euros in support of our integration efforts and programmes”, Mr Wambugu said.
Mr Wambugu said that the East African Monetary Union Protocol was currently under implementation with the development of supportive legislation to anchor its institutions and processes.
“We look up to German support in the implementation of the protocol given the centrality of Germany in the Euro economic zone and currency stability”, he said.
He described as extremely high the potential for economic transformation in the EAC through trade and industrialisation.
“In order to realise this potential, our Heads of State have all committed to prioritise the development of efficient and well interconnected infrastructure systems in the Community to underpin trade and industrial expansion in the region. Further, they have directed that laws and policies supportive of the foregoing developments be enacted at an expedited pace.”
Mr Wambugu said the proposed laws include business registration; regional licensing; anti-counterfeit laws; anti-corruption laws; harmonisation of internal taxes; and, business-friendly commercial laws such as in arbitration and adjudication of commercial disputes, among others.
He thanked Germany for providing substantial support for the EAC’s peace and security programmes which are aimed at establishing a firm foundation for the East African Political Federation, the ultimate stage in the integration process.
“The support on Small Arms and Light Weapons enhanced our capacities for proper management and disposal of small arms and light weapons in the region. We received arms marking equipment, collected and destroyed hundreds of tonnes of ammunition and explosive materials, carried out sensitisation seminars and workshops, and developed regional policies and strategies in this area. The region is safer thanks to the support from Germany”, he said.