Shortage of funds hurts protocols – EALA speaker

Nantongo, has blamed inadequate funds for the assembly to fully participate in implementing the Common Market Protocol.She was speaking at the just concluded regional media summit in Kigali.The head of the regional parliament believes that for the common market and other protocols to be realised, members of the assembly need to monitor all programmes.“Funds are a pre-requisite for the oversight function and they are indeed limited, leading to very low coverage in this direction”, she said adding that funds for outreach programmes must be increased for Committees and EALA activities on the common market.She said national parliaments must collaborate with all concerned parties to show commitments to realise the common market for the development of the region through cross-border dialogues.“EALA cannot steer the common market and the general integration process alone; it calls for stronger partnerships with all other stakeholders, including the national parliaments, private sector, civil sector and the media alike”.She pointed out that the None Trade Barriers (NTBs) monitoring committees that were recently initiated should be strengthened as well as harmonize the standards to ensure quality and acceptability of goods.The EAC 2012/2013 financial years’ budget increased by 5.08 per cent, exceeding the current budget by $1.6m, to $124m, implying that member states will have to contribute more to sustain it.The budget increment is aimed at accommodating the facilitation of various projects, especially implementation of common market protocols and negotiations on the monetary union that is set to be completed this year.Due to the increment, Rwanda will have to contribute US$7.07 million up from US$ 6.7 million.On the implementation of the Common Market Protocol, the emphasis will be on operationalisation of the free movement of labour provisions, as well as the integration of the regional financial markets to allow for free movement of capital.The protocol allows free movement of people, labour, capital, goods, services and rights of residence and establishment.Another challenge that has hindered the implementation of the common market is lack of political commitment among EAC partner states, one of the challenges that still thwart the implementation of the NTB protocol.

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Shortage of funds hurts protocols – EALA speaker