East Africans can fund their budget and end dependency

The five-member East African Community is discussing alternative ways of funding the regions development budget, with the major aim of reducing dependence on donations from outsiders. On the table is a proposal to have member-states surrender one percent of the value of revenue from imports to finance development projects in the region, especially infrastructure needed to spur more growth. Currently, member states—both the richer and the poorer—contribute equal amounts to the pool, but this is hardly half the annual budget of the community. That means that most of the resource envelope comes from well-wishers.