East African Business Week

ARUSHA, TANZANIA - The East African Community (EAC) secretariat last week commenced on the budgetary process for the financial year 2012/2013 this time targeted at improved agricultural production and implementation of the food action plan.
According to the drafted priorities, the secretariat targets to have at least three projects developed and implemented towards the implementation of the food action plan by 2013.
It also plans to harmonise and start applying all regional policies, regulations and standards on sanitary and phytosanitary by the year 2013. It is also planned that by the same year, the intra-governmental organization would have identified and strengthened five strategic agro-processing and agri-business for enhancing value chains.
Also planned in the next financial year is the improvement of livestock marketing and trade, improvement of regional management of animal breeding, conservation and distribution among others.
 Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration Dr. Julius Rotich who opened the pre-budget conference at Impala hotel in Arusha, Tanzania last week pointed out that the budget considerations that are undertaken are set against the background of the forth EAC Development five year strategy for 2011-2016 that the EAC is about to launch.
He explained that the strategy contains ambitious plans to implement various significant master plans in industrial development, energy, agriculture and food security.
He said that the successful implementation of this strategy shall stimulate investments, promote employment and growth; and lead to increased diversification and major transformation of the region's economy, including poverty reduction.
"Both individually and collectively, the partner States determine to achieve the status middle income economy by 2020 to 2030; and to move the region from largely agriculture and primary produce economy to an industrial based economy," he explained.
 "We also plan to intensify regional Infrastructure development and establishing adequate and reliable energy supply, strengthening popular participation and a common East African identity and political will behind the regional integration process and ensuring that regional integration truly works for the people, in terms of improving their welfare and realization of social justice for all," he said.
He said that other plans include sustaining intensive programme of investments, trade and tourism promotion, enhancement of agricultural development and food security, maintenance of regional peace and security and strengthening cooperation in political affairs including accelerate process towards Political Federation.
Others would include active promotion of a knowledge and science and technology-based entrepreneurial culture in the region, including human resource development and promotion of ICT general awareness, innovation and application.
He however said that the expansion of staff from 30 in the initial stage to current establishment of over 300 has led to the growth of the EAC budget from $2 million in early years to over $60 million in the current financial year.