States to contribute Sh760m for running EAC

East Africa Community member States will be required to contribute Sh762.4 million to fund the bloc’s activities for the next financial year which starts in July.  

The decision was arrived at by the EAC Council of Ministers which held an extra-ordinary meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi on Friday. The council also directed each partner State to allocate Sh75 million for the Inter- University Council of East Africa’s budget.

Three countries — Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania — which jointly share Lake Victoria, have also been directed to contribute Sh47.1 million ($ 0.51 million) each, towards the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation’s financial plan.

The council, which had met to consider the EAC budget proposals for the next financial year referred the adopted budget estimates to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) for debate and approval.

EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera said the Community will focus on nine global key priorities.

“These include the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol; consolidation of the Single Customs Territory; and enhanced Implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol,” Mr Sezibera said.

BUDGETARY INCREASES

The community will also focus on constitution-making process for the EAC political federation, development of cross-border infrastructure and implementation of the regional industrialisation policy.

Other priority areas include; implementation of the EAC Food Security Action Plan and Climate Change Strategy; transformation of the EAC into a common higher education area and establishment of an East African examination body.

The secretariat also has plans to implement the tripartite free trade area encompassing EAC-COMESA-SADC, which will result in the establishment of an integrated market of the 26 countries.

“This will be a combined population of almost 600 million people and total Gross Domestic Product of about $1 trillion,” Mr Sezibera said.

Led by Tanzania’s Tanzania’s minister for East African Cooperation, Harrison Mwakyembe the council considered and adopted the estimates amounting to Sh10.07 trillion ($110.6) to enable the EAC secretariat and its bodies discharge their mandate in the next financial year.

The council also directed the Secretariat to fund the budget increase amounting to Sh356.67 million ($ 3.9 million) from the EAC general reserve fund.

The civil aviation authorities were also factored in the projections as the ministers approved budget estimates amounting to Sh202.4 million ($ 2.2 million) to be funded by the partner states’ Civil Aviation Authorities and development partners. This will be directed to the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA)’s annual budget.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are expected to contribute Sh34.57 ($ 379,916) each, while Burundi and Rwanda are expected to give Sh27.48 million ($ 302,023) each, towards the regional civil agency.

The remaining Sh34. million ($373,925) according to the estimates will be raised from Development Partners while Sh9.7 million ($106,934) from other income generating activities.