EAC to accelerate joint infrastructure projects

Talks are currently underway between the East African Community (EAC) partner states to develop joint infrastructure development projects. According to Rwanda’s Ministry for EAC, the government has unveiled infrastructure projects it wants developed under the joint infrastructure development plan.The arrangement is geared at effectively utilising donor funds for sustainable development while increasing access to regional and international markets.Recently, regional organisations from Eastern and Southern Africa meeting under the auspices of the Inter Regional Coordinating Committee (IRCC), said infrastructure development can be boosted through leveraging and blending of pooled regional resources with those from international partners.The ministry indicates that the member states have agreed and are now working on the mechanism on how to implement joint infrastructure development.Speaking to The New Times, the in-charge of infrastructure at the ministry, Jean de Dieu Ndacyayisenga, said Rwanda would front Dar es Salaam Isaka-Kigali Railway, Rusumo-Kayonza highway, Dar es Salaam-Mombasa-Eldoret-Kampala-Kigali-Bujumbura oil pipeline and national grid power inter connections.“We are meeting in a week’s time to agree on what projects to front. Then a meeting of Heads of State will follow sometime in November 2012,” he said. Ndacyayisenga further explained that the criteria is to ensure that each country comes up with projects shared at least by another member state.He said the approach will minimise misappropriation of funds, facilitate skills sharing, and fast track regional development to ensure cost effectiveness on services and purchases among several other benefits. Recently, the European Union raised concerns that financial procedures in some of the recipient countries were not good enough to facilitate proper utilisation of aid leading to delays in releasing the money. Harmonized financial procedures and joint regional projects is expected to overcome this challenge, by ensuring that all the aid money is released. The best practices on financial procedures will also be replicated. Delegates from member countries are expected to come up with the financial procedures they have recommended.Member states have since August met twice on the issue, a trend already taken by sister blocs like COMESA and SADC. The region is racing for access to world market calling for world standard conformity in terms of packaging and quality of goods produced.The cost of production has to be reduced in terms of transport and electricity in order to assign the difference to packaging and other value addition areas.Earlier reports quoted, Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga saying, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan are negotiating a joint oil infrastructure plan that would help them coordinate the construction of oil refineries and an oil pipeline.The East African Community Secretary General, Dr. Richard Sezibera has rallied for joint regional projects saying that they are the answer to the future of the region. “We are here for innovative thinking to develop a cooperative approach, hinging on regional and national resources to address our common challenges, such as regional infrastructure.” He called for quick implementation of the Nairobi IRCC recommendations that will be agreed to enable the region make progress in utilisation of the aid money.Africa’s longest railway line will be built in 2014 to link Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi and boost the economy of the region. The project is expected to cost US$5bn.

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EAC to accelerate joint infrastructure projects