East African: EAC in Donor Search as Budget Estimates Presented
By Staff Writer
East African Council of Ministers (EAC) has presented the budget estimate of slightly more than $124 million to the East African Legislative Assembly(EALA) sitting in Arusha, Tanzania.
The budget presented on Wednesday June 4 indicates that the five EAC member states; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have only committed to contribute $42 million, with remaining 60% is to be funded by foreign states.
Total contribution by members is nearly half the $76 million required to run the EAC Secretariat alone. A total of $73 million is expected to come from development partners, made up mainly of EU states.
Dr Abdallah Sadala Abdallah, Deputy Minister for EAC, Tanzania, presented the Budget Speech on behalf of the Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers, Kenya’s Phyllis Kandie
This year’s budget is less than the expenditure programme presented last year and is to be distributed as follows.
EALA is set to receive $15 million, Inter-University Council for East Africa $9.4 million, East African Court of Justice $4.6 million, Lake Victoria Basin Commission $13 million and the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization $2.8 million.
For the first time, three new institutions are also set to benefit. East African Science and Technology Commission $0.67 million, East African Kiswahili Commission $0.72 million and the East African Health Research Commission $0.99 million.
The budget prioritizes full implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol with main focus on free movement of goods, services, labour and capital as well as the implementation of the EAC Industrialization Policy.
“Further amendments of the national laws to conform to the Common Market Protocol are envisaged for the next Financial Year. The Council of Ministers intends to introduce a Bill to the EALA to deal with challenges been witnessed with regards to implementation of the Protocol,” Abdala said.
Other key areas include development of cross-border infrastructure with particular focus on implementing decisions of the Summit Retreat, implementation of the roadmap towards the EAC Monetary Union, implementation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (COMESA-EAC-SADC) and the sensitization of East Africans towards deepened East Africa integration.
Also the implementation of the EAC Strategy on Regional Peace and Security and the implementation of activities under the Political Federation division is vital.
“ EAC,s Common Market Scorecard 2014 launched in February should be able to assist Partner States to identify areas of slow or limited progress and foster stronger peer learning to accelerate its implementation,” the minister said.
The regional budget has now dropped for the second time in a row from $134.1million in 2012/2013 financial year, $125 million in 2013/2014 and finally to $124million.