EAC countries warned to reject trade deal with the EU

[Cicero]

East African countries have been asked to reject the impending trade deal with the European Union. Kenya and the four other nations of the EAC are required to ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) before the end of the month, gradually grating unlimited market access for exports from the EU. While Kenya reluctantly signed the accord in 2014, the agreement, which the civil society and the United Nations have cited as dangerous, is yet to be approved by Parliament.

“We must critically analyse what this agreement means for the EAC, it is dangerous for our trade,” said Nathan Irumba, the executive director of the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (Seatini).

He was speaking at the close of a trade conference seeking to examine the impact of the EPA on the East African countries. EAC has been negotiating with the EU as a trading bloc. Failure to sign up would mean steep taxes on commodities such as flowers produced in Kenya, which is classified as a lower-middle-income economy.

Kenyan flower exports were heavily impacted when the EU slapped heavy taxes of up to 12 per cent some two years ago after the lapse of the preceding agreement, forcing President Uhuru Kenyatta to sign the agreement. READ MORE British PM frontrunner vows to limit immigration Britons will pay the price for the folly of universal suffrage Pound trades at its lowest since Brexit Other EAC nations are classified as Least Developed Countries and would still qualify for preferential treatment in trading with the rest of the richer World. The impending exit of the United Kingdom from the EU, commonly cited as Brexit, has already reduced the European market by 65 million to prompt a review of the agreement.

It is envisaged that the EU will have free access to the East African market in 25 years under the current trade pact. In exchange, the EAC has been granted immediate duty-free quota-free market access to Europe. Godfrey Mwambe, the Director of Trade and Investment in Tanzania, told the conference that trade volumes between the EU and the EAC was fast declining and called for a review of the pact whose negotiations have been ongoing for over a decade.

“Other regions are becoming more important trade partners than the EU so we really need to review this agreement before it is ratified,” Mr Mwambe said. Allowing the 28-member States of the EU free market access in exchange of tax-free exports from the EAC is feared would kill home-grown firms- which are only at their infancy.

“It is the large corporations that are benefiting from the agreement and not the small-scale farmers,” said Rebecca Tanui from another organisation called Building East Africa Community Network (Beacon).

Most of the exports from Kenya to the EU are agricultural produce, mostly flowers, coffee and tea. These commodities are produced by multinational corporations who could be arm-twisting the Government to ratify the agreement, explained Ms Tanui. Her views reflect the fears raised by an arm of the United Nations only two months ago.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) warned that Kenya risked killing its own industries if the agreement is sanctioned. EPA which was entered in October 2014 with the EAC opens up the local markets to competition from European products.

Read more at: Reject trade deal with EU, East African countries warned

 

[MaxMase]

Tanzania tumesema NO hatushiriki wizi wa mchana

 

[Xplorer]

Tanzania tumesema NO hatushiriki wizi wa mchana

Spotlight: Tanzania pulls out of EU sponsored economic partnership
Source: Xinhua 2016-07-09 02:23:43
DAR ES SALAAM, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Friday they were pulling out of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union (EU) bloc.

The announcement made the east African nation, the second largest economy in the region, the first to pull out of the EPAs from the East African Community (EAC) member countries.

The EPAs were meant to allow the EAC bloc to trade directly with the EU countries.

Aziz Mlima, the country's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the move was aimed at protecting the country's infant economy now that the government was spearheading the establishment of an industrial economy.

According to political and economic observers, Tanzania's pullout from the EU-sponsored economic agreements will likely spell a big blow to Kenya, a member of the EAC bloc which had intense interest in the deals as they benefited its flower exports to EU countries.

Mlima said besides protecting local industries, there was still some confusion following the United Kingdom's vote to withdrawal from the EU about two weeks ago.

"The possible biggest harm derived from signing the EPAs is turning small countries' economies into international markets for developed countries' products, hence killing their local industries," he said.

He added that apart from economic interests, signing of EPAs on July 18, this year, for Tanzania was too early given that it needed more time to study the agreements by various public departments and private stakeholders.

He said other individual EAC countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan were free to sign the EPAs if they felt they would benefit from them.

A renowned economist, Samuel Wangwe, commended the move, saying it had no benefits to Tanzania as it favoured Kenya with its flowers and vegetables exports to EU countries duty free.

"EPA won't help in promoting our local industries but rather, will benefit a lot given that developing countries have standard goods to sell in EA markets," he said.

The Minister for Industry and Trade, Charles Mwijage, also commended the move, saying EPA agreements were tricky as EU allowed goods exports despite being aware that African countries could not meet international standards due to their smaller economies.

He said allowing EU goods to freely flood the EAC meant killing local industries and turning the country into a source of raw materials.

In May, this year, Tanzanian former President Benjamin Mkapa warned East African leaders over embracing EPAs; saying they could negatively impact the countries' pre-mature economy.

Mkapa said signing EPA could hinder development pass-way of EA countries and lead them into de-industrialization, adding that he did not understand how such a powerful bloc like the EU could have trade agreement with developing countries.

European countries have been soliciting EA countries signing EPA through offering customs-free access to their (European) markets, especially for Kenyan products. Enditem

 

[Xplorer]

Ngoja tuone kama uchumi wa kenya unategemea maua!!....sisi hatusaini mikataba ya kipumbavu,nyie mkitaka pigeni saini.

 

[MK254]

Ngoja tuone kama uchumi wa kenya unategemea maua!!....sisi hatusaini mikataba ya kipumbavu,nyie mkitaka pigeni saini.

Nyie siku zote huwa hivyo, hapo hamna jipya, ni kawaida yenu kubadilisha gia angani, na nina uhakika lazima nchi zingine zote ukanda huu zilitegemea mtakurupuka na vijisababu uchwara kama hili la Brexit. Kwanza kipindi hiki, nategemea mtaghairi mambo mengi sana, maana maamuzi mnayafanya ya kukurupuka, hamfahamiki kesho mtaamka na lipi.

Kuna jamaa kaanzisha mada sehemu, kwamba mkulu wenu akitoa taarifa kwamba atahutubia, nchi yote mnajazana kwenye runinga zenu maana hamjui ataibuka na lipi. Yaani tension full, hamtabiriki na ni vigumu kuwa na malengo ya muda mrefu mahali mnahusika.

 

[Freema Agyeman]

Heri nusu shari kuliko shari kamili. Muungano na Zanzibar 'kanchi' kadogo tu unatushinda, ije kuwa na EAC nzima! Ndio tutamezwa kabisaaa. Naunga mkono hoja ya kutosign makubaliano kama hatuko tayari. Hatuna haja ya kuridhisha wengine kama wenyewe hatujajiridhisha.

 

[bagamoyo]

Nyie siku zote huwa hivyo, hapo hamna jipya, ni kawaida yenu kubadilisha gia angani, na nina uhakika lazima nchi zingine zote ukanda huu zilitegemea mtakurupuka na vijisababu uchwara kama hili la Brexit. Kwanza kipindi hiki, nategemea mtaghairi mambo mengi sana, maana maamuzi mnayafanya ya kukurupuka, hamfahamiki kesho mtaamka na lipi.

Kuna jamaa kaanzisha mada sehemu, kwamba mkulu wenu akitoa taarifa kwamba atahutubia, nchi yote mnajazana kwenye runinga zenu maana hamjui ataibuka na lipi. Yaani tension full, hamtabiriki na ni vigumu kuwa na malengo ya muda mrefu mahali mnahusika.

MK254,

Kuna habari hii hapo chini inasema mwakilishi wa Kenya mwaka 2014 alitia saini rasimu ya mkataba wa EPA kati ya EU na EAC, sasa kama Bunge Matata la Kenya mpaka leo hii mwaka 2016 halijapitisha mkataba huu, hii ya wewe kujipiga kifua kuwa hamna woga na mkataba huo ni kweli au kufurahisha baraza la JamiiForums?

Quote :''..... While Kenya reluctantly signed the accord in 2014, the agreement, which the civil society and the United Nations have cited as dangerous, is yet to be approved by Parliament'' . Reject trade deal with EU, East African countries warned

 

[nyabhera]

Sasa tusain kwa manufaa ya Kenya. We don't export to EU thus we don't need that Agreement.

 

[Livale]

Na sio EU pekee, most of the developed world wants to dump their products in Africa and many developing countries while they in exchange extract as much resources as is possible. Hii EPA yatufunga mikono wa Kenya by offering a lifeline for our horticultural exports but in return allow in almost everything from them. Tukiireject, our floral exports drastically (consider 60% of all flowers imported into the EU are from Kenya) suffer na ndio maana the Parliament is still weighing the options.

Ingekuwa vyema kama Eastern Africa wote (including Ethiopia, the 2 Sudans etc) tungeshikana na tuwe na one voice, maybe we would have been able to bargain a better trade deal. But kama Tanzania watajing'oa, Uganda wajiamulie, Kenya wajaribu kusumbuana na EU etc, watatukalia kichwani hawa

 

[jingalao]

CC: Zitto Hii mada inakuhusu sana na inanikumbusha kipindi kile ukiwa kwenye ubora wako

 

[kilam]

Nyie siku zote huwa hivyo, hapo hamna jipya, ni kawaida yenu kubadilisha gia angani, na nina uhakika lazima nchi zingine zote ukanda huu zilitegemea mtakurupuka na vijisababu uchwara kama hili la Brexit. Kwanza kipindi hiki, nategemea mtaghairi mambo mengi sana, maana maamuzi mnayafanya ya kukurupuka, hamfahamiki kesho mtaamka na lipi.

Kuna jamaa kaanzisha mada sehemu, kwamba mkulu wenu akitoa taarifa kwamba atahutubia, nchi yote mnajazana kwenye runinga zenu maana hamjui ataibuka na lipi. Yaani tension full, hamtabiriki na ni vigumu kuwa na malengo ya muda mrefu mahali mnahusika.

"Most of the exports from Kenya to the EU are agricultural produce, mostly flowers, coffee and tea. These commodities are produced by multinational corporations who could be arm-twisting the Government to ratify the agreement, explained Ms Tanui".
Reject trade deal with EU, East African countries warned

 

[Cicero]

MK254 bila shaka hapo na wewe umekurupuka. The few wise Kenyans nao hawataki huu mkataba uridhiwe lakini wewe uko hapa kazi kurusha mitusi tu kwa watanzania.

 

[MK254]

MK254 bila shaka hapo na wewe umekurupuka. The few wise Kenyans nao hawataki huu mkataba uridhiwe lakini wewe uko hapa kazi kurusha mitusi tu kwa watanzania.

- Kwanza kabisa hujanitendea haki kwa kudai kwamba nimewatusi Watanzania, nimeibua hoja na ukiwa mstaarabu ijadili.
- Pili, binafsi sibishi mantiki ya Watanzania kughairi leo, wanaweza wakawa na hoja za msingi zenye mashiko.
- Tatizo langu liko pale mnasuasua, leo hiki kesho kile. Mbona hizo hoja msiziibue mwanzo halafu mghairi kabisa, au mkubalie kabisa.
Sasa inakua na haja gani mnachukua muda mrefu huku mkibadilisha badilisha misimamo, inakua vigumu kuwatabiri maana tunachokubaliana nacho leo, kesho hatuna uhakika mtaamka vipi.

 

[simplemind]

Heri nusu shari kuliko shari kamili. Muungano na Zanzibar 'kanchi' kadogo tu unatushinda, ije kuwa na EAC nzima! Ndio tutamezwa kabisaaa. Naunga mkono hoja ya kutosign makubaliano kama hatuko tayari. Hatuna haja ya kuridhisha wengine kama wenyewe hatujajiridhisha.

Muungano kielelezo tosha cha unafiki wa Tanganyika. Muungano so lolote zaidi ya Tanganyika kutawala Zanzibar kimabavu.

 

[MOTOCHINI]

[QUOTE="bagamoyo, post: 16787765, member:"k54,

Kuna habari hii hapo chini inasema mwakilishi wa Kenya mwaka 2014 alitia saini rasimu ya mkataba wa EPA kati ya EU na EAC, sasa kama Bunge Matata la Kenya mpaka leo hii mwaka 2016 halijapitisha mkataba huu, hii ya wewe kujipiga kifua kuwa hamna woga na mkataba huo ni kweli au kufurahisha baraza la JamiiForums?

Quote :''..... While Kenya reluctantly signed the accord in 2014, the agreement, which the civil society and the United Nations have cited as dangerous, is yet to be approved by Parliament'' . Reject trade deal with EU, East African countries warned[/QUOTE]
bagamoyo huyo ni mpuuzi
Hujifanya mjuaji kumbe kifuniko cha mkebe

Wacha tuone

 

[MOTOCHINI]

Hatuwezi Fanya kwa shinikizo la jirani anauza maua EU
Tanzania kama Tanzania lazima iangalie nini faida kwa Taifa lake.

Nipongezi kubwa kwa Tanzania

 

[Geza Ulole]

Tanzania backs out of EAC deal with EU over Brexit

The agreement between the EU and EAC was scheduled to be signed on July 18.

Saturday July 9 2016

Tanzanian President John Magufuli (second left) and Zanzibar's newly elected President Ali Mohamed Shein (second right) during Mr Shein's swearing-in ceremony in Stone Town, Zanzibar, on March 24, 2016. AFP PHOTO | DANIEL HAYDUK

In Summary

• Dr Mlima told reporters in Dar es Salaam that Tanzania had decided to halt the signing because of “turmoil” that the EU is experiencing.
• EAC Secretariat workers could not believe that Tanzania had pulled out of a deal which it has participated in negotiations.

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DAR ES SALAAM

Tanzania has said it will not sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) between East Africa Community (EAC) and European Union (EU) following Brexit.

The announcement caused anguish and shock at the EAC headquarters in Arusha.

A number of officials at the Secretariat were apparently at a loss on Friday on learning of the country's U-turn as announced in Dar es Salaam by Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Aziz Mlima.

"Has the Tanzania government withdrawn?" inquired a surprised official who said if it was true, the move would be a setback to the negotiations which have been going on for years between EAC and EU.

On Friday, Dr Mlima told reporters in Dar es Salaam that Tanzania had decided to halt the signing because of “turmoil” that the EU is experiencing following Britain’s exit.

The agreement between the EU and EAC was scheduled to be signed on July 18.

Dr Mlima said signing the pact would risk exposing young EAC countries to harsh economic conditions given the prevailing conditions in Europe.

The official said Tanzania’s Parliament would first peruse and advise the government before committing to the deal.

“Our experts have established that the way it has been crafted, the EPA will not benefit local industries in East Africa. Instead it will lead to their destruction as developed countries are likely to dominate the market,” Dr Mlima said.

Dr Mlima's remarks echoed strong criticism of the pact by former president Mkapa who warned EAC not to rush to sign the pact because it was designed to kill the local manufacturing sector.

Mr Mkapa expressed his recent disapproval of the EPA when he officiated the Mwalimu Nyerere International Festival at University of Dar es Salaam late last month.

“I don’t understand how such a powerful trade bloc can have a free trade agreement with the developing economies of Africa. There is no way that our small economies can have free trade agreement with Europe,” emphasised Mr Mkapa.

Tanzanian intellectuals also joined the former president in denouncing the EU’s trade pacts.

The University of Dar es Salaam’s retired law Professor Issa Shivji had once warned East Africa leaders that the EPA would reinstate Africa’s colonial role as a raw materials supplier to European factories.

“EPAs are not good for us because they will destroy our industries., Prof Shivji argued adding that EPAs would simply allow European heavily subsidized manufacturers access the region’s market.

EAC Secretariat workers could not believe that Tanzania had pulled out of a deal whose negotiations it had participated in.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official said the move contradicted a ministerial meeting in Nairobi on June 30 in which all the five partner states agreed to sign the document on the sidelines of the UNCTAD conference.

The EAC secretary general Mr Mfumukeko could not be reached for comment as he is reported to be out of the country as was the director general of customs and trade Peter Kiguta.

The latter has been leading trade negotiations on the EPA with EU.

EAC spokesperson Owora Richard-Othieno said although each partner state in the community was to sign the EPA with EU individually, the EAC had undertaken negotiations as a bloc.

Reported by John Namkwahe (Dar) and Zephania Ubwani (Arusha).

(Editing by Joel Muinde)

Tanzania backs out of EAC deal with EU over Brexit

 

[Bavaria]

- Kwanza kabisa hujanitendea haki kwa kudai kwamba nimewatusi Watanzania, nimeibua hoja na ukiwa mstaarabu ijadili.
- Pili, binafsi sibishi mantiki ya Watanzania kughairi leo, wanaweza wakawa na hoja za msingi zenye mashiko.
- Tatizo langu liko pale mnasuasua, leo hiki kesho kile. Mbona hizo hoja msiziibue mwanzo halafu mghairi kabisa, au mkubalie kabisa.
Sasa inakua na haja gani mnachukua muda mrefu huku mkibadilisha badilisha misimamo, inakua vigumu kuwatabiri maana tunachokubaliana nacho leo, kesho hatuna uhakika mtaamka vipi.

Sisi kusuasua inakuhusu nini? Una hisa kwenye serikali ya Tanzania? Wewe ni mtanzania? Una haki yeyote ya kuuliza chochote kuhusu Tanzania? Wewe ni nani Tanzania?

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