The East African Community (EAC) will support its newest member, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to find a way out of the insecurity challenges, EAC Secretary General Dr Peter Mathuki has said.
Speaking just days after DRC joined the block, Dr. Mathuki disclosed that the region’s member states will mobilise resources and develop infrastructure to address insecurity issues that are affecting the country.
To realize this, he said “the regional block will be working together with development partners to develop the infrastructure” a major enabler to economic development.
While responding to questions during a conversation on #JUMUIYASPACES on Twitter Monday evening, Dr. Mathuki called on all citizens of the EAC trading block, which has since expanded, to give focus to issues that will steer mutual development in the region.
He said the advantages of the admission of DRC to the EAC regional block outweigh the disadvantages.
To build a strong and mutually beneficial economy, Dr. Mathuki said EAC citizens ought to embrace the huge market of over 300 million people within the block as they produce goods for trade. He noted that there exist immense opportunities in the now 7-member regional trading block.
“In the next three years, we will have a framework to form an East African Monetary Institute.” Divulged Dr. Mathuki.
“11% of goods consumed in DRC have been coming from EAC partner states. We want to increase the intra EAC trade. DRC should take advantage of the infrastructure within the member states and vice versa.” He added
According to Dr Mathuki, the East African Community (EAC) is the fastest growing regional block in continent, noting that the entry of DRC would increase the region’s combined GDP by 22 percent and geographical area by 79%.
During the signing of the treaty, DRC was urged to honour attendant commitments and conclude the domestic processes as per its constitution and deposit the instruments of ratification within the stipulated period of six months.
Mathuki disclosed that the EAC Secretariat together with DRC would develop the roadmap for the integration of DRC into the Community.
Thereafter the DRC will handle internal processes including parliament approval leading to deposit of instruments of Ratification.
The entry of DRC also requires integrating the EAC’s trade infrastructure, intermodal connectivity, One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), and trade systems so as to reduce trade time and costs.
The entry of DRC, has made EAC become bigger in size, bigger population size coupled with abundant natural resources, and skilled manpower and womanpower.
EAC as a region has an advantage of having common languages and cultures with Kiswahili as its lingua franca.
During the signing of the signing of the Treaty of Accession last week Friday, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi reiterated his earlier call to the Summit for the establishment of a new EAC institution that would ensure the sustainable exploitation of the region’s vast natural resources in addition to mitigating the effects of climate change.
On his part, President Uhuru Kenyatta who is also the Summit Chairperson, disclosed that Ministers of EAC Affairs and technical experts would move with speed to integrate DRC into the Organs of the Community such as the East African Court of Justice, East African Legislative Assembly and Sectoral Committees on essential matters including trade, industry, finance, agriculture, infrastructure, science and technology, defence, security, education and international cooperation, among other areas.
The Summit Chairperson further said that there was a mechanism for the speedy integration of DRC into the submissions of EAC to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement processes, adding that this would boost the Community’s stake in the AfCFTA.
President Kenyatta said that the signing of the Treaty of Accession would be followed by the immediate removal of non-tariff barriers on the movement of capital, goods, services and people, which will in time lead to an increase in intra-EAC trade, even as he emphasised the role of the private sector in regional integration.
“Our Community is people-centred and private sector-driven. Member States of EAC remain committed to advancing and promoting the private sector’s interests as provided for under Article 127 of our Treaty. Furthermore, Partner States have committed to stimulating market development through infrastructural linkages, promoting conducive investment codes, protecting property rights and other rights, and the proper regulation of our private sector,” he said.
“Towards this end, all Partner States will welcome and establish immediate linkages between our business associations and those of the DRC so as to further develop our trade relations.
According to EALA MP Aden Abdikadir, the earliest the DRC Members of Parliament will be able to join the East African Legislative Assembly is by December 2022 when the elections for new EALA members will be held.
