| EAC boss set to establish regional business forum | Send to a friend |
| Saturday, 04 February 2012 09:40 |
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Arusha. The secretary general of the East African Community (EAC) has established a Regional Business Forum at his office to spearhead dialogue with the business community in the region. The new body would work to ensure the integration process for business and trade, EAC competitiveness and ultimately economic growth.Dr Richard Sezibera disclosed this in Nairobi on Thursday when addressing the East Africa Stakeholders Forum organised by Trademark East Africa at Hotel Southern Sun in the Kenyan capital city. He said the Forum would work in collaboration with Trade Mark East Africa and the East African Business Council (EABC) and that it will be hosting a quarterly meeting of chief executive officers of EA firms to dialogue on how to improve the business environment in the region.He also noted that the issuance of a single tourist visa, the internationalisation of the East African Passport, the use of national identity cards for movement within EA among the partner states plus liberalisation and domestication of EAC airspace, will be among priorities for the Community this year. He said the construction of the One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) and other integrative infrastructure as well as implementation of the agreement on harmonised axle load and other transport regulations including cabotage regulations were expected to significantly bring down the cost of doing business in the region to the benefit of the people of EA. Dr Sezibera further noted that EAC now has an environmentally friendly industrial policy and strategy and encouraged the private sector to work with the EAC on its implementation. "Industrialisation, including agro-processing requires concerted action from governments, the private sector and civil society."It also requires of us to accept change," otherwise "East Africa must industrialise or be left at the margins of the global economy," he asserted. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
