Ordinary citizens have not felt impact of EAC

However, according to a recent survey, ordinary East Africans like Mr Mugizi have so far not felt the impact of the integration process since it became operational 10 years ago.

The survey, titled Benefits Experienced by Ordinary Citizens from the East African Community Regional Integration, was released in Arusha, Tanzania last month by a team of technocrats led by Regina Mwatha Karega.

The survey also observed that it was a requirement that one enters into another country with a yellow fever card, an aspect some people found self-defeating.
“A quick check, however, showed that different immigration officers demanded the yellow fever cards. At the Arusha Airport for instance, the yellow fever card was demanded for by some immigration officers while in Namanga border, no officer demanded the yellow fever card.”

High taxes
According to the report, the challenges that continue to bog down the East African integration process include slow verification of documents at all points, high taxes were mentioned by all ordinary citizens as high.

The biggest aspect that was mentioned by most of the respondents in the three countries was harassment by custom officials. The report did not mention the kind of harassment but Mr Issa Sekitto, the Spokesman of the Kampala City Traders Association, an umbrella body of traders in Kampala, agrees with the survey that there indeed is harassment.

Corruption and request for bribes was another issue highlighted as experienced in Kenya 45 per cent, Uganda 16 per cent and Tanzania 34 per cent.

Further discussions with government officials’ from the East Africa community in Tanzania revealed that the currency issue is a major problem because of the differences in the value and they also noted that their clients sometimes complain about it. For one to travel to either of the partner states they have to change their money into the currency of the country they are entering and this sometimes proves a cumbersome task.

Further, they acknowledged that there are issues related to tariffs differentiation that need to be addressed because this means for instance that the tax paid by Tanzanians in importing goods to Kenya is not the same in value with that of importing goods in Tanzania.

With the recent signing of the East African Common Market Protocol which will allow the free movement of labour, goods and services, it is hoped that some of the contentious issues in the report will be dealt with and the benefits will begin to trickle down to ordinary citizens.

What is the EAC?

• The East African Community (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organisation of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Burundi with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
• The first attempt to create a regional block was initiated in the 19th century, culminating to the EA customs union in 1967. However, perceived inequality in the distribution of benefits, among other reasons, led to the collapse of the Community in 1977.
• This spirit of integration was reviewed in 1993 in a tripartite Agreement involving Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania which created the East African Co-operation.
• The Treaty for establishment of the East African Community was signed on November 30, 1999 and entered into force on July 7, 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Rwanda and Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on June 18, 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from July 1, 2007.
• The EAC aims at widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in, among others, political, economic and social fields for their mutual benefit.
  The EAC countries established a Customs Union in 2005 and are working towards the establishment of a Common Market by 2010, subsequently a Monetary Union by 2012 and ultimately a Political Federation of the East African States.
  Complied by Mark Kirumira.