The East African Community (EAC) is conducting a two-day sensitisation workshop for the manufacturing sector of its partner states. The meeting which began yesterday, is being held at Prime Holdings in Kigali.

"We shall be discussing the EAC customs Act, the Treaty and Protocol. We shall also dwell on how manufacturers will play their role in the implementation of the EAC Customs Union treaty that will lead to the removal of tariffs in inter-regional trade,” said EAC Principal Customs Officer, Michael M. Lugaiya.

Lugaiya said that the manufactures should take advantage of and exploit the organisation’s opportunities rather than leaving the whole business to politicians.

Rwanda and Burundi will be implementing the Customs Treaty in July, 2009, whereas other countries have the mandate to implement and enforce the treaty.

The EAC protocol Article 6, paragraph 1, says that the partner states shall initiate trade facilitation by reducing the number and volume of documentation required in respect to trade among themselves.

"We have enjoyed the advantage of the organisation ever since we spread our business to all the member states and I would recommend the manufacturers in the region to exploit the opportunities of the EAC,” said Hussein Sufian, the representative of Bakhresa Group of Companies at the workshop.

Speaking to The New Times, Marie Claire Uwase, in charge of the Chamber of Industry at the Private Sector Federation, said that the workshop will help the manufacturers in the country to collaborate with their fellow manufacturers in order to understand their rights and exploit the expanded market.

Rwanda recently took a decision to open her borders for 20 hours in order to ease border crossing and transportation of goods in the country.

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