East African Community (EAC) countries have stepped up efforts to encourage the region’s residents to pick more interest in integration. The EAC is a six-state regional bloc made up Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and South Sudan.

During a sensitisation tour to the border community of Kagitumba in the Eastern Province, on Thursday, the Minister for Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs, Francois Kanimba, explained why it is important for EAC border residents to keep abreast with integration affairs.

"It is only through sensitisation that the principles of regional integration and the benefits that come with belonging to the bloc will trickle down to the EAC residents,” Kanimba said.

Ugandan officials from the Ministry of EAC also took part in the sensitisation tour.

The officials from both countries also visited the one-stop border post at Kagitumba, where they were briefed on how the facility has eased cross-border trade and movement of people.

The meeting also offered an opportunity for the ministers to interact with border residents, where they discussed how they can fast-track the integration process, and how best to address challenges faced by the border communities.

While addressing residents, Minister Kanimba pointed out that Rwanda joined EAC in line with the 6th pillar of Rwanda’s Vision 2020, which focuses on regional and economic integration to promote an open and liberal trade regime, as well as foreign direct investment and competitive enterprises.

Cross-border trade between Rwanda and its neighbours has significantly increased and contributed to the country’s social economic development.

The total trade (informal and formal) between Rwanda and Uganda has risen from $21.6 million to $28.4 million between 2014 and 2015, an increase of 23.8 per cent.

"Uganda is also Rwanda’s largest informal export market with total informal exports amounting to $19 million in 2015 from $11.3 million in 2014,” the Minister said, adding that the increase is due to informal exports of dried beans and live bovine cattle.

Kanimba urged Rwandans to tap into the vast export markets presented by the EAC.

He pledged to continually address the existing challenges that include non-tariff barriers and tax regimes that need to be harmonised.

Other issues that need to be fixed, Kanimba said, include the enactment of a law governing one-stop border posts.

"The ministry will work with different stakeholders to address these matters. However, I also need to encourage business people to work hard to ensure increased cross-border transactions so that the facilities that we will put in place are fully utilised,” Kanimba said.

Meanwhile, cross-border traders who attended the meeting requested for longer operating hours, saying that closing at 7pm, was not business-friendly.

"Previously, we could use illegal entry points along the porous border, but now we use gazetted borders because of the way things have been simplified.

"We use our IDs, and it takes a short time to be clear at the border, thanks to the one-stop border post,” said Scovia Karangwa, a representative of small cross border traders in the Eastern Province.

Julius Wandera Maganda, Uganda’s Minister of State for EAC Affairs, stressed the need to expedite integration, saying with the total EAC population stands at 162 million, that boasts of a combined gross domestic product of $169.5 billion, presents residents a huge and economically viable market to promote investment and trade in the region and beyond.

"As a bigger sovereign state, the East Africa Community shall have a wider internal market and more negotiating power in the international arena. Once fully integrated, the EAC states will be more visible and have stronger bargaining power with other communities,” Maganda said.

This exercise was conducted in line with the EAC week which was conducted under the theme "Regional Integration: a Necessity for Development.”

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