East African Community chief warns Tanzania on regional integration
By JAMES ANYANZWA
The East African Community ( EAC) has raised concerns over Tanzania’s commitment to the regional integration process.
EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera hit out at those dilly-dallying over integration process, saying they were missing the point.
Dr Sezibera said Tanzania has faltered on a number of key issues agreed upon by EAC regional States including the liberation of its current accounts and waiving of work permit fees.
“We don’t have compelling powers over those countries which seem not to be co-operating with the process of regional integration but the EAC treaty provides for the Secretary-General to take a country that is lagging behind to court. But this is a long process,” Sezibera told reporters in Nairobi yesterday.
Long-term goal
“Those still putting barriers to trade and integration are missing the point. We need to integrate much faster,” he added.
Sezibera noted that some people were interested in the benefits of regional integration yet they were not ready to participate in achieving its long-term goal.
“I’m concerned that at the individual and regional level, many actors are interested in plucking the fruits of regional integration rather than growing the tree,” he said, adding that the fundamental aim is to have East Africa’s prosperity by integrating. Sezibera was speaking on the sidelines of the Second Annual Banking and Research conference organised by the Kenya Bankers Association in Nairobi yesterday.
Tanzania’s commitment to regional integration has been under sharp focus since Kenya, Uganda andTanzania agreed to revive the defunct EAC in 1997. Tanzania has been viewed as a reluctant party to the integration process.
The East African Community ( EAC) has raised concerns over Tanzania’s commitment to the regional integration process.
EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera hit out at those dilly-dallying over integration process, saying they were missing the point.
Dr Sezibera said Tanzania has faltered on a number of key issues agreed upon by EAC regional States including the liberation of its current accounts and waiving of work permit fees.
“We don’t have compelling powers over those countries which seem not to be co-operating with the process of regional integration but the EAC treaty provides for the Secretary-General to take a country that is lagging behind to court. But this is a long process,” Sezibera told reporters in Nairobi yesterday.
Long-term goal
“Those still putting barriers to trade and integration are missing the point. We need to integrate much faster,” he added.
Sezibera noted that some people were interested in the benefits of regional integration yet they were not ready to participate in achieving its long-term goal.
“I’m concerned that at the individual and regional level, many actors are interested in plucking the fruits of regional integration rather than growing the tree,” he said, adding that the fundamental aim is to have East Africa’s prosperity by integrating. Sezibera was speaking on the sidelines of the Second Annual Banking and Research conference organised by the Kenya Bankers Association in Nairobi yesterday.
Tanzania’s commitment to regional integration has been under sharp focus since Kenya, Uganda andTanzania agreed to revive the defunct EAC in 1997. Tanzania has been viewed as a reluctant party to the integration process.
