Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) Secretary-General Stephen Mbundi has appealed to the private sector to expand the scope of regional trade and investment to stimulate job creation and boost economic prosperity.
The appeal was made during the Tanzania edition of the East African Business Council (EABC) chief executive officers and investment roundtable held in Dar es Salaam.
During the event, the EABC, the East African Development Bank (EADB), and the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) officially announced preparations for the major East Africa CEO & Investment Forum 2026.
An EABC press statement issued on Thursday, August 6, 2026, confirmed that the landmark conference is scheduled for September 17 to 18, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya, aiming to position East Africa as the premier investment destination on the continent.
Mr Mbundi commended the commitment of EAC Heads of State to boost intra-regional trade to 50 percent by 2030, up from the current $19.7 billion recorded in 2025.
"Our priority as the EAC Secretariat is implementing this vision. Every policy, partnership, and reform must be measured against this benchmark," said Mr Mbundi.
He urged the private sector to fully utilise the Single Customs Territory to streamline and ease the cross-border movement of goods.
The EABC executive director, Mr Ahmed Farah, stressed that regional integration ought to be driven by active trade rather than policy frameworks alone.
He called for the immediate removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), the rectification of uneven Common External Tariff (CET) implementation, and a reduction in transit, transport, and logistics costs.
The Acting German Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Maximilian Müller, noted that an integrated and well-connected East African market creates solid opportunities for international business partners.
He announced that the Invest.EastAfrica! initiative will expand through sector-specific editions starting this September, culminating in an investment conference in Germany.
On his part, EADB resident manager, Mr Stephen Wambura, explained that the regional lender remains committed to financing enterprises that drive industrialisation and sustainable economic growth across member states.
The Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) executive director, Mr Deogratius Massawe, who represented the foundation’s chairperson, Ms Angelina Ngalula, welcomed directives by EAC ministers to eliminate discriminatory taxes, levies, and preferential treatment on EAC-originating goods.
The Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) executive director, Mr Leodegard Tenga, urged stakeholders to strengthen regional value chains to buffer local economies against global shocks.
Mr Amadeus Mzee, who represented the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr Charles Kadonya, said: "Tanzania's Development Vision 2050 places the private sector at the centre of economic transformation, recognising trade as the primary engine for investment, employment, and export growth."
The upcoming September forum is expected to convene over 500 high-level delegates, including regional and international CEOs, alongside a delegation of 50 European Union investors led by the Minister of State for Hesse in Germany, Manfred Pentz.
