East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st July, 2022: The Summit of EAC Heads of State have reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the EAC Common Market Protocol.
The Summit that met physically for the first time in three years noted that the Common Market was the best way to increase intra-regional trade and spur economic growth in the region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st July 2022: On the sidelines of the High-Level Retreat for the Summit on the East African Community (EAC) Common Market, the EAC and Equity Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen the economic and social integration of the East African region and to accelerate the implementation of Equity Group’s `Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan’.
The partnership seeks to support the East African Community focus area of creating a Common Market as per the EAC’s 6th Development Strategy and EAC Vision 2050 strategy and the `Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan’, which focuses on the economic recovery and resilience in Africa, in a post-COVID 19 environment. The initiative is a framework for socio-economic transformation for the people of the African continent based on 6 integrated pillars aimed at catalyzing a natural resources-led transformation of Africa, enhancing agriculture output, formalizing extractive value chains, and connecting these primary sectors to global supply chains that are broken and require diversification and secured sourcing.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 18th July, 2022: Preparations are in high gear for the EAC Heads of State Retreat on the EAC Common Market and the 22nd Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State scheduled for 21st and 22nd July, 2022 respectively at the Arusha International Conference Centre, in Arusha, Tanzania.
About 300 participants from Partner States, private sector, civil society and development partners are expected to attend both the High Level Retreat and the 22nd Summit.
EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 16th July, 2022: The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki has handed over the Chairmanship of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force (TTF) to H.E Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The handover took place on Saturday, 16th July 2022 during the 34th Meeting of the Tripartite Task Force, on the sidelines of the 4th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms in Lusaka, Zambia.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 13th July, 2022: The 22nd Ordinary Meeting of the East African Community (EAC) Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for Health is currently underway via hybrid means.
The meeting that started on 11th July is expected to run until 15th July at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 11th July, 2022: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has finally become a member of the East African Community after depositing the instrument of ratification with the EAC Secretary General at the bloc’s headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Handing over the instrument of ratification to the Secretary General, DRC’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’ Apala, said that the entry of his country into the EAC was an economic, cultural, geographical and historical obligation.
Bujumbura, Burundi, 10th July, 2022 : The 13th General Assembly of Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) has elected new members of the IUCEA Governing Board and Prof. Calixte Kabera, Vice Chancellor, East African University, Republic of Rwanda as the Chairperson, for two years (2022-2024).
The General Assembly, which is the highest policy making organ of IUCEA, is comprised of Vice Chancellors and Principals from Member Universities, representatives of Ministries responsible for Higher Education and representatives of the Private Sector from EAC Partner States.
Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki, Arusha, Tanzania, 7th July, 2022: Maelfu ya wazungumzaji wa lugha ya Kiswahili toka Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki wamewaomba wakuu wa nchi za Jumuiya, kuongeza jitihada za kuiimarisha lugha ya Kiswahili na kubuni mbinu bora za kukuza na kuiendeleza lugha hii.
Wito huo ulikaribishwa na Rais wa Zanzibar na Mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Mapinduzi, Zanzibar, Mhe. Dkt Hussein Ali Mwinyi, aliyekuwa mgeni wa rasmi katika hafla ya kuadhimisha Siku ya Lugha ya Kiswahili Duniani, iliyofika kilele chake leo, tarehe 7 Julai, 2022, Zanzibar.
East African Science and Technology Commission, 07th July, 2022: The East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) organized a five-day virtual training workshop “Entrepreneurship Skills Training for Creativity and Job Creation” targeting university students in East Africa.
The training was conducted virtually using the EASTECO customized FLOOR platform from Monday, 27th June to Friday, 1st July, 2022.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6th July, 2022: The East African Community and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), after signing the respective Government and Implementation Agreements, jointly launched the new project Digitalisation for East African Trade and Integration (DIGEAT) with an official ceremony at the EAC Secretariat.
The German Government committed EUR 3,000,000 through the initiative Digital Africa, which harnesses digital applications to achieve development goals.
The EAC Secretariat and its implementation partner Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) jointly developed the concept for the new project over the past year. DIGEAT aims to simplify the cross-border movement of engineers to render their services in all EAC Partner States. To achieve this objective, the project will improve the relevant regulatory framework and the necessary digital services and tools.
DIGEAT aims to advance on EAC achievements and the cooperation of the EAC Secretariat and GIZ in the Support to East African Market-Driven and People-Centred Integration (SEAMPEC) Project, which has supported the free movement of professionals and provided support to the implementation of the respective Mutual Recognition Agreements for professions such as engineers.
DIGEAT will build on these results with a focus on utilising the benefits of digitalisation and digital applications. To this end, it will work closely with SEAMPEC’s follow-on project, which will start in August 2022 with an overall commission value of EUR 15.3million. SEAMPEC II will contribute to increased intra-regional and continental trade for the benefit of East Africans.
Speaking at the launch, EAC Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki lauded GIZ for championing digital programmes to create job opportunities for youths in the region.
“The DIGEAT Project is timely as it finds when the EAC is pushing for all Partner States to leverage on new technologies to support the migration of production and service delivery to digital platforms and enhance e-business opportunities across the region,” he said.
In his remarks, GIZ Country Director Mike Falke highlighted that increased trade in services and the seamless cross-border movement of professionals is a significant step to deepen economic integration in the EAC.
‘In order for this to succeed, the implementation of the existing, and potentially agreement on new, Mutual Recognition Agreements needs to be advanced. With its innovative and consultative approach and utilization of digital tools DIGEAT may offer an efficient and replicable solution, that creates efficiency and ease where currently complex administrative and bureaucratic processes hinder the moving of engineers,’ said Dr. Falke.
DIGEAT’s implementation by the EAC Secretariat will be supported in collaboration with GIZ as part of the long-standing development cooperation between the EAC and Germany. It falls under the cooperation area of Socially and Environmentally Sound Supply Chains, Trade and Sustainable Infrastructure.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001: 2015 Certified