Inadequate funding and shortage of staff are the major challenges weighing down operations of the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (Cassoa), officials say."We are looking at alternative financing mechanism to bridge the gap,” the Executive Director of Cassoa, Barry Kashambo, told members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) who were visiting the agency’s offices in Entebbe, Uganda, last week.The annual budget of the institution is about $2.2 million.Yesterday, Dr Richard Masozera, the director-general of the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, who is a board member of Cassoa, told The New Times that the agency indeed faces financial and human resource challenges."There is a need for training in the use of specific modern equipment and there is need for a budget to meet such high expectations,” Dr Masozera said.However, he said Cassoa had achieved a lot for the region’s aviation industry in promoting security and safety, especially through harmonising regulations and development of guiding materials. Heads of national aviation bodies in the five EAC states are members of Cassoa board."We produce harmonised regulation and technical guideline materials which have improved air security and safety for the region. The EAC baseline on security and safety is of a high standard,” he said.However, the Managing Director of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Rama Makuza, told EALA MPs that lack of adequate legislation governing aviation and threats to the industry, including terrorism, were also hampering progress.Dr Masozera also agreed that terrorism is indeed a major challenge. He said terrorism is evolving fast, which calls for improved methods and resources. "There is need for improved and adequate training on aviation security. Terrorism is becoming more sophisticated,” Dr Masozera said."The EAC borders Somalia which has active terror groups. This calls for deliberate investment in, among others, in screening vehicles, IT equipment, and much more.”