East Africa accelerates regional integration

The East African Community held a forum in Arusha, Tanzania, October 31 to discuss issues such as the implementation of the Customs Union and the challenges facing trade growth. It is reported that the East African community to celebrate the establishment of 10 years, while the achievements of the Summit will be held on November 20, the 5 leaders will formally sign the Common Market Treaty to further promote regional integration.　　The consensus is that this will be an important moment for the 5 countries in East Africa, marking the beginning of the next phase of the East African Community's goal. The East African community was first established in 1967 and then disintegrated as a result of disagreements among Member States. November 30, 1999, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda signed the East African Community Treaty, the restoration of the establishment of the East African community. Rwanda and Burundi joined the organization in June 2007.　　At present, the total population of the 5 countries of the East African Community exceeds 120 million, and the gross domestic product is nearly 60 billion US dollars. Since its inception, the East African community has achieved remarkable results in regional integration, in which the establishment of the Customs Union in January 2005 has brought vigor to regional economic integration. Within the 5-year transition period following the establishment of the Customs union, the East African Community member countries ' internal tariffs were falling, and the current maximum tariff for member countries ' imports to Tanzania was 5%, while the tariff for entry into Uganda was 2%. Kenneth Bugamuronda, head of the East African Community Customs Service, said the customs union had greatly facilitated the growth of trade and investment within Member States. Between 2005 and 2008, the volume of trade between the members of the East African Community increased by 49%, with Tanzania and Uganda doubling their exports to other Member States. Trade between Kenya and other member countries has also grown rapidly, up 25% per cent in the past year alone. Foreign direct investment received by Member States increased from $692 million in 2002 to $1.763 billion in 2007.　　At the same time, cross-border investment in member countries has increased significantly. The establishment of the customs union also enhances the voice of Member States in international economic affairs and increases their bargaining chips in multilateral negotiations. Peter Chiguta, head of the East African Community Commission on Tariffs and Trade, noted that in multilateral and international trade negotiations, members of the East African community often negotiated as a group. The East African Community signed the Framework Agreement on Trade and investment with the United States in 2008.　　At present, the East African Community, as an economic entity, is negotiating with the EU on the Economic Partnership agreement, and is also planning to establish a tripartite free-trade zone with the Common Market for Eastern and southern Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). At present, the East African community is working to push forward the further development of the Customs Union and strive to establish a comprehensive customs union next January. The establishment of a comprehensive customs union meant that all the members of the East African community would clear all internal trade barriers and that external goods would be taxed only once in the region and that they would be followed by uniform tariffs.　　Kenneth Bugamuronda said the customs union was the cornerstone of a common market and monetary union, and it was necessary to consolidate it before establishing a common market. (This newspaper, JohannesburgNovember 1 (Xinhua)