Speakers discuss EAC protocols

The slow implementation of agreed protocols among EAC countries will feature at a meeting of regional parliamentary speakers and senate presidents due Monday in Kigali.Speaking at the news conference yesterday, Senate president, Dr Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo, said failure to implement the protocols was still a major challenge that needed the Senate and parliament’s contribution for the benefit of regional citizens.He said though the summit of Heads of State recently urged the Council of Ministers to continue playing a pivotal role, especially in removing trade barriers, there was a need for all organs to advocate for traders to work in a conducive environment.“We will take advantage of this meeting to discuss and see what can be done to remove all these trade barriers as well as implementing other protocols,” Ntawukuriryayo said. According to the Speaker of Parliament, Rose Mukantabana, other regional issues to be discussed during the one-day meeting include the East African Parliamentary Institute Bill (EAPI) 2011., Mukantabana is also the chairperson of EAC Speakers Forum.The bill that remains to be signed by Heads of State is aimed at initiating a regional institution that will facilitate the strengthening of human and institutional capacities of both regional and national parliaments in areas of leadership development, legislative drafting and review, human resource management, budget analysis, and the utilisation of information technology.The recently concluded summit of Heads of State held in Arusha, Tanzania, commended the Council of Ministers for taking the lead in the elimination of non tariff barriers to enhance free circulation of goods and services in the community. It directed that decisions taken to this effect be implemented expeditiously.In his recent visit to Kigali, the outgoing Speaker of the East African LegislativeAssembly (EALA), Abdirahin Abdi, condemned regional member countries that are reluctant to fully implement the agreed upon protocols of the Common Market and Customs Union.He observed that ever since the two protocols were signed, partner states have not demonstrated seriousness in implementation, something the speaker described as cheating regional citizens.

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Speakers discuss EAC protocols