EAC, Norway sign grant agreement

THE East African Community and Norwegian government on Friday this week signed a financial grant agreement worth Norwegian Krone US $5.3 million to help in integration activities for the period 2012 to 2014.The signing that was held in Nairobi saw EAC Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera and Norway’s Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania with an accreditation to the Community, Her Excellency Ms. Ingunn Klepsvik, signed on behalf of EAC and Norway respectively.The funds, disbursed through the EAC’s basket fund mechanism known as the Partnership Fund, will support initiatives to enhance regional integration and socio-economic development of the EAC. Specifically, the funds will be used to support the implementation of the EAC Development Strategy and provide technical assistance to the Community.According to the agreement, the grant will also support institutional and human resource capacity building for the EAC and support key studies required to support regional integration as well as implementation of the study findings. According to the agreement, an initial disbursement of 10million Norwegian Krone (approximately US $1.8 million) will now be made by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Norway is one of the founding members and contributors to the EAC Partnership Fund. Also present at the signing ceremony was the head of the resource mobilisation unit at the EAC, Dr. James Njagu. The community has always been getting financial support from different partners including the government.