Written by ALBERT AHABWE

KAMPALA, UGANDA - Uganda is set to host the 3rd East African Community (EAC) investment conference in Kampala, the EAC secretariat has announced.

The conference, the 3rd of its kind, will take place in Kampala from the 26th to the 29th of April, 2010. The announcement was made by the Mr. Alloys Mutabingwa, Deputy Secretary General in-charge of Planning and Infrastructure, and Uganda's Minister of state for Investment Aston Kajara.

Making the announcement at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Kajara said, "East Africa is proud to announce today that the 3rd EAC investment conference will be held in Uganda. This conference will present the successes we've made within the community and how we can further development with a framework of both the public and private sectors," adding that the stage was set for poverty eradication and wealth creation in the region.

Mutabingwa said that the conference would allow the secretariat to reach out to the private sector partners and the media in the region  to acquire a strong rapport and partnership to help increase investment.

"This conference brings together the private sector, governments in the region and other stake holders like the media. We're trying to put everything in place to make sure it is a success like the last two have been." Mutabingwa said.

He added, "We have now started operating under a fully fledged customs union which started January, that is a plus. We're working together towards the East African common market which comes into force in July and so we ask everyone one in the region to be positively involved."

Prior conferences of this nature had also been held in Rwanda and Kenya with over 3,000 participants registered in combined attendances numbers.

Mutabingwa also announced that the secretariat was working on launching of an East African Fund. He said the fund was mandatory as it was catered for in the protocol that forms the community. He said a date for the same would be announced.Kajara also announced that there would be awarding of the lucrative EAC Investor of the year awards at this years' conference.