The government will empower diplomatic missions to provide information on the level of implementation of East African Community (EAC) protocols. This is aimed at helping people know more about the implementation strategies in other countries on the Common Market protocol and Customs Union as well as accelerating their businesses.The Minister in charge of EAC Affairs, Monique Mukaruliza, said there was need to access regular information on the status of implementation of protocols “It will help us know how our people are doing business and means of helping them. We need to be informed regularly so that we also influence other countries on the implementation process,” she said.This is in line with the recently adopted national policy on EAC integration that aims at making the management of the integration process more effective and efficient and to ensure that it contributes to Rwanda’s aim of becoming a middle-income country by 2020.The policy also recommends that the government, through the EAC Ministry (MINEAC), develops a Partner States Compliance Database which identifies key compliance issues for Rwanda in each Partner State and monitor progress on compliance as well as establishing a complaints hotline on EAC related issues under the auspices of MINEAC.Mukaruliza said that personnel who will be based at Embassies and High Commissions are going to be trained. They will frequently send news to the ministry in order to inform Rwandans about the implementation status.Last week the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Abdirahin Abdi, criticised member countries for failing to fully implement the agreed protocols of the Common Market and Customs Union.“Partner states are not doing what we agreed. They have not harmonised their national laws and this is cheating the East African people and whole integration process,” Abdi is quoted as stating.“It’s important that member countries commit themselves on what we agreed, otherwise we shall not achieve our main integration purposes”.Jean Baptiste Nemeyabahizi, the owner of Cimenterie De Mpenge that imports cement, welcomed the move saying that it would be important for the government to know some of the challenges they face in other countries. He added that this would lead to solutions.“This is a good initiative if government will be helping us in whatever we are doing. It’s better to know our issues,” he said.The policy also calls on the government to push for the creation of ‘Structural Funds’ for the purpose of enhancing cohesion between the Partner States and reduce development gaps in key areas.
