The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) has urged the bloc to work towards weaning off donor dependency.

While addressing the Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, Amb. Juma Mwapachu informed the Council that in the period between July and September of each year, the community finds itself in a financial quandary.

According to the statement, Mwapachu said the bloc’s activities are slowed down significantly due to the flow of funds to the bloc that is normally slow.

"EAC must become more financially robust and self sustaining. Donor dependency for this type of organization implies serious consequences when resources do not flow in,” Amb. Mwapachu is quoted, stressing that this kind of situation had to change.

The 22nd Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers ended Monday in Arusha, Tanzania, having considered the Audit Accounts of the Community for the year that ended June 30, 2009.

The EAC Council of Ministers is the bloc’s policy organ and it consists of the five Ministers responsible for the EAC Affairs of each partner State.

The Meeting of the Council considered the Audit Commission report which comprised the Audit Reports of EAC organs and institutions, as well as projects including the EAC Secretariat; East African Legislative Assembly (EALA); East African Court of Justice (EACJ); East African Trade and Transport Facilitation Project; Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC); and Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA).

The Council requested the Audit Commission to carry out an audit of Partnership Fund Accounts for the financial year ended 30 June 2009, and also requested the Audit Commission to carry out financial and value for money audit of the EAC Secretariat, EACJ, EALA, institutions, projects and programmes of the Community.

Ends