EAC intensify co-operation in infrastructure development

By John Oyuke

The East African Community (EAC) is turning focus on projects aimed at simplifying transport and communications in the region, after managing the inauguration of the Common Market Protocol.

EAC Secretary General Juma Mwapachu said with the launch of a single market regime, the primary challenge is revamping the deficient infrastructure to realise a strong and truly regionally integrated economy and cohesive society.

A major challenge is the improvement of regional infrastructure on which EAC is placing high priority, he explained, adding, "primary to this concern is to revamp the deficient East African transport and communications infrastructure."

The thrust would be improving road and rail network, marine and air transport, minimising boarder posts delays and attraction of investment in infrastructure development.

Rapid development

A decision by the organisation last November committed member states to a common market treaty allowing free movement of people and goods, to help foster the necessary conditions for sustained rapid economic development.

Mwapachu said projects in the pipeline under the East African Railways Master Plan and East African Road Network Project aim to bring up and extend comprehensive network of modern rail, roads, inland waterways and telecommunications systems. The systems, he adds, would effectively connect centres of production and markets throughout the East Africa Community region and the neighbouring countries, in particular the semi-autonomous Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Mwapachu spoke when he received a delegation from Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) that called on him at his office in Arusha on Monday. JBIC Advisor on Country Credit Mr Chad Leechor, who was accompanied by Mr Eisuke Nakajima, Economist of the Bank’s Africa and Country Credit Division led the JBIC delegation.

The discussions centred on the challenges of the East Africa Community (EAC) integration process with the onset of the Common Market and prospects of EAC-JBIC co-operation.

Leechor praised EAC for implementing the Common Market noting it has brought with it "new issues and challenges" which he was confident EAC was ready to face.

He said JBIC was interested in making contribution in areas of infrastructure and energy development and other critical areas related to the development of the common market.

He said the projects being pursued by EAC were "impressive and very exciting" and expressed confidence that, not only JBIC, but also the World Bank and other development partners would lend support to ensure their successful implementation.

Transport projects

The EAC is involved in the assessment of the restructuring of a number of transport and communication projects among them revamping the East African Railways.

Mwapachu said that, in addition, infrastructural projects under the Tripartite arrangement are being developed to establish the EAC region as the hub to linked transport and communications network with Northern and Southern African trade centres and vastly contribute to intra-EAC and intra-African trade.