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critical foundation of the East African
Community (EAC), which has been in
force since 2005, as defined in Article 75
of the Treaty for the Establishment of the
East African Community.
It means that the EAC Partner States
have agreed to establish free trade
(or zero duty imposed) on goods and
services amongst themselves and agreed
on a common external tariff (CET),
whereby imports from countries outside
the EAC zone are subjected to the same
tariff when sold to any EAC Partner
State.
Goods moving freely within the EAC
Factory workers package products must comply with the EAC Rules of
Origin and with certain provisions of
the Protocol for the Establishment of
Protocols and their implementation right from the on-set, East African the East African Community Customs
framework. These bottlenecks, among Co-operation generally viewed itself Union.
others hinder the 150 million-strong as a fast track for regional integration
population to exploit opportunities it in the Eastern and Southern African The “six freedoms’ have over the years
presents region, particularly as fast tracking the eased cross-border trade and accelerated
The current EAC regional integration COMESA integration initiative. expansion of private businesses, but
squabbles among member countries
initiative has its origin in the Mediation This was out of the fact that the 3 Member have slowed down realization of some of
Agreement for Division of Assets states - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda the envisaged liberties.
and Liabilities of the East African - were also members of COMESA and
Community which collapsed in 1977. at that time were trading under the “When you look at the free movement
In that Agreement, signed on 14 May COMESA trade regime. Within the of goods, we have significantly reduced
the number of days it takes to move
1984, there was a provision that the three COMESA trade regime, Kenya by 1999 goods from the port of Mombasa to
East African countries (Kenya, Tanzania had reached a tariff reduction of 90 per Kampala. But now due to coronavirus, it
and Uganda) could explore areas of cent while both Tanzania and Uganda is taking longer,” said Erastus Mwencha,
future co-operation. It was on that basis were at 80 per cent. Therefore, Kenya chairman of Trade Mark East Africa, a
that the then three Heads of State held was granting the other two sister states non-governmental agency that promotes
a mini-Summit on the sideline of the preferential market access at 90 per cent regional trade.
Commonwealth Heads of Government tariff reduction.
and States Summit held in Harare in However, following issuance of a Free movement of persons, capital,
November 1991, during which they withdrawal notice from COMESA labour and services; the right of
announced their intention to re-launch by Tanzania in September 1999, the establishment and the right of residence
the East African Co-operation. three EAC Partner States agreed within have been a challenge to implement, with
On 30 November 1993, the three the framework of the Treaty for the some member states making it difficult
Heads of State of Kenya, Uganda and Establishment of the East African to honour the agreements. Besides the
Tanzania signed an Agreement on Community, signed on 30 November Common Market Protocol the EAC is
the establishment of the Permanent 1999 and came into force on 7 July 2000, hinged on three other pillars; a Customs
Tripartite Commission for East African to continue trading preferentially along Union, Monetary Union and ultimately
Co-operation. However, full fledged co- the trade regime applicable at the time of a regional Political Federation.
operation took root after the launching signing of the Treaty. The Customs Union, which came into
of the Secretariat in Arusha on 14 March effect in 2005, provids for liberalization
1996. A Protocol for the Establishment of of intra-regional trade in goods,
the East African Community Customs
If there is a single most important Union was signed by the three East promotion of economic development
legacy initiative for the region to both African Heads of State on 2 March 2004 and industrial diversification in the
the late Presidents Benjamin Mkapa of in Arusha, Tanzania. EAC.
Tanzania, Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya Limited funding for EAC integration
and Yoweri Museven, the it is this treaty, The Republics of Rwanda and Burundi activities and low public awareness about
which laid the foundation for the revival joined the Customs Union in 2008 and the Protocols and their implementation
of the East African Community which started applying its instruments in July framework still remain key bottlenecks
collapse in 1977. 2009. for the 150 million-strong population to
According to available historical The Customs Union is the first exploit the opportunities that it presents.
information at the EAC secretariat, Regional Integration milestone and In August, 2019 The East African

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