KAMPALA, UGANDA - The chairperson of the East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers Hafsa Mossi, has criticized partner states over the slow progress in the implementation of integration process programmes.
She said that that though the EAC had made great strides in the economic, social, and political spheres, there was still a great deal of unfinished business.
"We must own up to the fact that that our region is not yet cohesive or integrative enough," adding that "we are also not yet moving at the right speed nor are we progressing fast enough on our development objectives," she said.
"While performance indicators today depict stable growth of the region's economies in terms of gross domestic product, trade and investments expansion, the region was still riddled with serious problems," she said at the 14th meeting of the sectoral council of ministers for EAC Affairs and planning held in Arusha, Tanzania last week.
She enumerated problems the region is currently experiencing that include famine in Kenya and the Horn of Africa, the problem of piracy on the Indian Ocean waters of the East African coast, the terrorist threat posed by neighboring Somalia, and the energy deficit which was persistent and widespread and had intensified to the point of crisis.
"It is in times of crisis that regional integration is best tested and it is in the ways and means by which we stand together, and forestall or roll back such crises that we should give true meaning and justification of belonging together in regional integration," she asserted.
She called for commitment to early warning systems and effective response preparedness to the crises of economic, political or social nature in the region.  
"We need to constantly think through the availability of new technologies to enable rapid and effective decision making so as to strengthen the commitment and spirit of regional integration," she noted.
EAC Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera said regional integration was the critical contributing factor to the stability and growth of the economies of the region.
"Apart from the current inflationary pressures that the region was experiencing, on account of the rising world food and fuel prices and the threat of a looming global recession, the region's economies had registered on average 5% annual GDP growths against the world average of 3%,' he explained.
He said that performance indicators depict significant growth trends, including intra-EAC and international trade, which grew by between 20 to 30% and foreign direct investment inflows, which have increased from $683m to $1.7bn in 2010.
He explained that the region presently has a market of a combined population of 130m with a combined gross domestic product of $75bn.
"The Community welcomes South Sudan to become a member of the EAC and looked forward to closer partnership with it in the near future,' he added.
The Sectoral Council among others; considered the Draft 4th EAC Development Strategy (2011-2016) and recommended it to the next meeting of the full Council scheduled for September 2011 for consideration and adoption.
EAC Head of department for corporate communications and public affairs Richard Owora explained that the strategy aims at consolidating the gains of the Customs Union, fully implement the Common Market, negotiate and implement a Monetary Union Protocol, while also strengthening the foundation for a fast tracked Political Federation.
He said that it addresses implementation of master plans in the productive sectors of Agriculture and Food Security, Industry and Manufacturing and Tourism among others.
"The successful implementation of the strategy shall stimulate investments, promote employment and growth and lead to increased diversification and major transformation of the region's economy," he said