The Heads of the East African Community organs and institutions must work hard to address factors that constrain the construction of a larger EAC internal market in order to increase its share in global trade and economy, Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, noted on March 28.

The Chairperson of the EAC Summit, Ndayishimiye, was officially opening the session of the fifth East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the first meeting of the new Assembly since its inauguration in December 2022, at the national Assembly buildings in Bujumbura, Burundi.

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The fifth EALA will sit in Bujumbura from March 27 to April 7.

Among others, Ndayishimiye called for the full facilitation of the regional Assembly so that it can fully play its oversight role, noting that the bloc’s Council of Ministers should find requisite resources to fund the Assembly’s committees to effectively carry out their oversight, outreach and even sensitization activities effectively.

While taking note of the low rated visibility of the EAC in the region, the Head of State tasked members of EALA to take time to sensitize East Africans, members of the private sector and the civil society regarding the achievements that have so far been made towards achieving the pillars of integration.

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The bloc’s pillars of integration include the Customs Union, Common Market, the Monetary Union and other steps that will be undertaken to attain political federation.

Key among the business to be transacted by the Assembly include: EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2023; the EAC Standardisation, Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Bill, 2023; and various committee reports.

The Assembly is expected to wind up its activities after carrying out an on-spot visit to the Gatumba-Burundi/DR Congo border to assess various aspects of the EAC Customs Union and Common Market pillars of integration.