The High Level Task Force (HLTF) negotiating the East African Community Common Market in Kampala has agreed to harmonise transport management in the region.

Apparently, a harmonised transport policy will enable movement of people and goods quickly, efficiently and cheaply within the community.

"We were able to come up with common rules and regulations for all modes of transport within the community,” Prudence Sebahizi told The New Times in an interview on Tuesday. He is the chief negotiator for Rwanda in the EAC Common Market.

The HLTF drafted a transport, economic and monetary policy coordination and economic convergence criteria provided for under the model protocol.

"We have progressed in these new areas because it was very easy to agree on policies. As long as the objectives and principles are good, controversy will not arise. We were able to come up with common rules and regulations for all modes of transport within the community,” Sebahizi said.

The negotiations that commenced last week at the Bujumbura meeting had  suffered a setback after failing to agree on the outstanding issues—right of establishment and residence, and free movement of services.

According to Sebahizi, draft provisions under the Transport Policy will also provide for measurable commitments by partner states towards agreed investments in transport.

"These are all significant issues that will facilitate trade in the Community.  For instance, currently transport is one of the critical areas of concern because it increases the cost of doing business in the region and this reduces our competitiveness as a region,” he said.

The proposed EAC Economic and Monetary policy provides for close coordination of partner states’ economic and monetary policies on the internal market.

Coordination of the monetary policies is preparatory work leading to the establishment of a monetary union.

Sebahizi also noted that the Community would agree on finance mechanisms and mobilisation of resources to facilitate implementation of the agreed programmes.

The model protocol provisions on the economic convergence criteria will guide implementation of the EAC monetary union.

It will also facilitate fiscal policy at both national and union level.

The High Level Task Force closed its discussions yesterday and is expected to meet in Zanzibar from November 2 to 8 in the next. round of  the Common Market negotiations. 

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