Hiiraan Online
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
The 17th Ordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit has been rescheduled for 2nd March which is today in Arusha, Tanzania.
Top on the agenda of the long-awaited meeting will be the consideration of reports by the EAC Council of Ministers on: the negotiations on the admission of the Republic of South Sudan into the Community; Sustainable Financing Mechanisms for the EAC, and; the EAC Institutional Review.
The meeting will also consider Council reports on: the Model, Structure and Action Plan of the EAC Political Federation; Implementation of the Framework for Harmonized EAC Roaming Charges; Modalities for Promotion of Motor Vehicle Assembly in the region and Reduction of the Importation of Used Motor Vehicles from Outside the Community, and; the Promotion of the Textile and Leather Industries in the region, and stopping importation of Used Clothes, Shoes and Other Leather Products from outside the region.
The Summit is also expected to deliberate on a report by the Council on the verification exercise for the admission of the Republic of Somalia into the EAC.
The meeting may however be overshadowed by the political crises in Burundi and the recent attacks carried out by Alshabaab in Somalia.
The Heads of State are expected to launch the new International East African e-Passport (electronic-passport) during the meeting.
Also scheduled to be launched by the Summit is the Private Sector Fund which is expected to deepen the participation of the private sector in the East African integration process.
Aden M Warsame
Hiiraan Online
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