Rwanda Red flag over faltering EAC Intergration

[RUCCI]

Rwanda red flag over faltering EAC integration

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Though the East African Community secretariat maintains the integration process is on course, concerns are growing over delays and foot-dragging by some member states in the implementation of the agreement.

Rwanda has already raised the red flag over delays by EAC partner states in implementing the provisions of regional protocols.

The country is concerned by the delays in harmonising national laws and legislations in conformity with the EAC Common Market protocol, which has made implementation of the protocol difficult, and by the absence of reciprocity in the implementation process.

"The biggest challenge is that we are currently at different levels of implementation and not all partner states are implementing the provisions as required. Our concern is for the partner states to implement what we have agreed on at the regional level," says Rwandan Minister for East African Affairs Monique Mukarulinza.

While the East African Community Customs Union was launched in 2005 in the three original partner states, the new members, Rwanda and Burundi, started implementing the Customs Union on July 1, 2009 after being admitted to the community in 2007.

Ms Mukarulinza says while the country has on its part fast tracked and accelerated the process of integration by amending its national laws as required, other states have been slow to act.

Apart from implementing the Customs Union and adopting the EAC budget calendar, Rwanda is amending its national laws to facilitate the regional integration agenda.

Kenya's EAC Director of Economic Affairs, Richard Sindiga, agrees that challenges remain in the implementation process, citing the lack of harmonisation of fiscal policy as one of the reasons for the dissolution of the former EAC in 1977.

Mark Priestley, TradeMark East Africa country director for Rwanda, said despite the gains made by "landlocked" countries like Burundi and Rwanda from regional integration, the benefits were limited by the existence of non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which are still on the rise. The situation is worsened by the poor state of infrastructure in the region.

"A full 40 per cent of costs of imported retail goods are related to transport costs," said Mr Priestley.

The landlocked countries are hardest hit by NTBs, a situation worsened by bad roads, delays at border crossings and lack of harmonised import and export procedures, all undermining the free movement of goods and people as provided for in the Common Market protocol.

Costs

Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi incur the greatest costs due to their distance from the main ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.

"No tangible progress has been made in terms of removing NTBs along both the Northern and Central Corridors, which has kept Rwanda's transport costs extremely high," said Ms Mukarulinza.

Rwanda and Kenya are seen to be ahead of the pack in the implementation of some of the aspects of the agreement.

To bypass the hurdle over implementation of laws on movement of labour, Rwanda and Kenya signed a bilateral agreement to allow their citizens to move freely and seek employment in the two countries.

The landlocked country also amended its immigration laws to allow EAC citizens work and stay in the country.

"We fully opened our borders to members of the Community, giving them six months of stay, but when Rwandan citizens travel to some partner states they were given only three months," Ms Mukarulinza told The East African, referring to the treatment of its citizens by Tanzania.

Some member countries have pointed fingers at Tanzania for what they refer to as its "stubbornness"in implementing rules touching on immigration and property ownership.

"Tanzania still feels that if it completely relaxes its immigration rules, foreigners from other member states will flood the country and take away citizens' jobs and property," said an East Africa Legislative Assembly MP, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Both Rwanda and Kenya are of the view that while they are trying hard to embrace all residents from member countries, their citizens face diascrimination in some partner states.

Source: East African Newspaper.

 

[TzPride]

Kainchi kamejaa kale, wanataka tu kupumlia huku kama wakenya! Ni nchi ambazo zilizowahi ku na genocides katika ukanda huu...si za kukumbatia kiharaka hivyo.

 

[Kakati]

Kwa ujumla ushirikiano ni kitu kizuri. Muhimu ni kwa waTanzania wanaohusika na majadiliano na mikataba ya ushirikiano kusoma mikataba hiyo vizuri, kuona hatari zinazoambatana na kukubali mambo fulani fulani na fursa zinazopatikana kwa kukubali mambo fulani fulani. Watanzania wanatakiwa umakini wa kutosha.

 

[simplemind]

Kainchi kamejaa kale, wanataka tu kupumlia huku kama wakenya! Ni nchi ambazo zilizowahi ku na genocides katika ukanda huu...si za kukumbatia kiharaka hivyo.

Nyie ndio walewale mnapinga muungano wa Africa na wamwanzo kulalamika oh tunaonewa na mataifa makubwa.

 

[Masikini_Jeuri]

Kwa ujumla ushirikiano ni kitu kizuri. Muhimu ni kwa waTanzania wanaohusika na majadiliano na mikataba ya ushirikiano kusoma mikataba hiyo vizuri, kuona hatari zinazoambatana na kukubali mambo fulani fulani na fursa zinazopatikana kwa kukubali mambo fulani fulani. Watanzania wanatakiwa umakini wa kutosha.

na hapo ndio pananipaga shida; wanaotuwakilisha kwenye hiliwanalitambua?

 

[mheto]

Hi fellow members.

Nataka nimwelewehe huyu mwenzetu Tz Pride, kwanza you should be very proud of your country and in that you get the strenth to stand firm and meet all that comes your way, that is to say facing your country, inasikitisha saana kuona statement y mtu mbaye we believe amesoma anaposema ati ka nchi kamejaa so watu wake wanatafuta pa kupumulia yaani unakua umejonyesha how short sighted you are, kwasababu ukisikia na ukifanya utafiti wako sio Rwandans tu wanaokuja Tanzania hata sisi wengine wako na nafikiri ndio wengi, sabab yaousema hayo nikwamba wako focused, determined, and know what they want.Huu mungano unafaida nyingi sana ikiwa watu watafanya their homework vizuri na kusoma hiyo mikatab vizuri, wakaweka stand ya serikali(bilakuchelewesha mambo) Sometimes back kuna an EAC member of parliament(TZ) alisema eti wao wanapata shida wakienda kwenye bunge lao coz wanakuwa hawana the exact stand ye serikali coz wenzao wanakua wameweza kuonana na all relevant offices au ministries concerned wana study the concerned project wanapata msimamo wa nchi yao halafu wakija bungeni wanakua wana uwezo wakujieleza na kutoa maoni but basing on the stand ya nchi zao wakati wenzetu wa Tz hawana cha ku eleza so what happens wabaki kusogeza nyuma au drag things tu. It was so sad kusikia an MP anasema hayo wakati yeye ndie anakua na bendera ya nchi yake wakati huo.
Mtu anaye kaa na kusema Kenyea na Rwanda ni nchi zenye zilikuwa na Genocide sio za kukumbatiwa,anasikitisha sana, kuna msemo kwa majiranizetu Uganda eti Kila mbwa n siku yake, yaliyotekea sio miracle yanaweza tokea anywhere kama iivyokua with the Nazis then ikawa Rwnda na machafuko Kenya, unaona uarabuni yalivyo, so, don't be shallow minded my dear fellow member instead be focus halafu don't fear anything but FEAR itself. Acheni kama alivyosema mwenzetu simplemind tusiwe sisi wenyewe tunajitenga wakati hao tunaolalamika wanatuonea(mataifa makubwa) wao wanaungana(you saw the Libya issue), tujaribu kuweka pamoja basing on mahitaji yetu ili tuwe na a stepping stone to start from while trying to go up. Good luck

 

[FJM]

Ule msemo wa 'Haraka haraka haina baraka' unaweza kuwa muhimu kwenye hii issue ya EAC. Sasa hivi Europe wanahaha maana mambo mengi walifanya kwa haraka sana. Kuna mazuri kwenye muungano huu EAC lakini ni muhimu kabisa kwenda hatua kwa hatua. There are so many things to sort out one of them being 'trust' among the member countries.

Rwanda na Burundi wanaweza wakawa wamemaliza ku-implement vipengele vingi kwa sababu hakuna complications kwenye governance kama ilivyo Kenya au Tanzania. Theorically speaking Rwanda ni nchi ya vyama vingi but practically ni sawa kama wana chama kimoja na hii inaleta unafuu kwenye gorvanance/decision making process. Hivyo nisingetegemea speed ya Rwanda iwe sawa na Tanzania au Kenya.

 

[Bantugbro]

Ule msemo wa 'Haraka haraka haina baraka' unaweza kuwa muhimu kwenye hii issue ya EAC. Sasa hivi Europe wanahaha maana mambo mengi walifanya kwa haraka sana. Kuna mazuri kwenye muungano huu EAC lakini ni muhimu kabisa kwenda hatua kwa hatua. There are so many things to sort out one of them being 'trust' among the member countries.

Rwanda na Burundi wanaweza wakawa wamemaliza ku-implement vipengele vingi kwa sababu hakuna complications kwenye governance kama ilivyo Kenya au Tanzania. Theorically speaking Rwanda ni nchi ya vyama vingi but practically ni sawa kama wana chama kimoja na hii inaleta unafuu kwenye gorvanance/decision making process. Hivyo nisingetegemea speed ya Rwanda iwe sawa na Tanzania au Kenya.

umeongea jambo la maana sana....

Kwanza si kuna mambo mengine ya kutekeleza kwanini kila mtu anang'ang'ana na ishu ya uhamiaji tu?. Btw, Rwanda kwanza wasilalamike kabisa maana wao tuliwachukua kwa wingi sana huko awali na tukawapatia uraia bila masharti yeyote yale, wengine tuliwapa vyeo vikubwa tu serikalini. Kilichotokea RPF ilipochukua nchi wote walitoweka bila hata kuaga!

 

[Kibona]

Hi fellow members.

Nataka nimwelewehe huyu mwenzetu Tz Pride, kwanza you should be very proud of your country and in that you get the strenth to stand firm and meet all that comes your way, that is to say facing your country, inasikitisha saana kuona statement y mtu mbaye we believe amesoma anaposema ati ka nchi kamejaa so watu wake wanatafuta pa kupumulia yaani unakua umejonyesha how short sighted you are, kwasababu ukisikia na ukifanya utafiti wako sio Rwandans tu wanaokuja Tanzania hata sisi wengine wako na nafikiri ndio wengi, sabab yaousema hayo nikwamba wako focused, determined, and know what they want.Huu mungano unafaida nyingi sana ikiwa watu watafanya their homework vizuri na kusoma hiyo mikatab vizuri, wakaweka stand ya serikali(bilakuchelewesha mambo) Sometimes back kuna an EAC member of parliament(TZ) alisema eti wao wanapata shida wakienda kwenye bunge lao coz wanakuwa hawana the exact stand ye serikali coz wenzao wanakua wameweza kuonana na all relevant offices au ministries concerned wana study the concerned project wanapata msimamo wa nchi yao halafu wakija bungeni wanakua wana uwezo wakujieleza na kutoa maoni but basing on the stand ya nchi zao wakati wenzetu wa Tz hawana cha ku eleza so what happens wabaki kusogeza nyuma au drag things tu. It was so sad kusikia an MP anasema hayo wakati yeye ndie anakua na bendera ya nchi yake wakati huo.
Mtu anaye kaa na kusema Kenyea na Rwanda ni nchi zenye zilikuwa na Genocide sio za kukumbatiwa,anasikitisha sana, kuna msemo kwa majiranizetu Uganda eti Kila mbwa n siku yake, yaliyotekea sio miracle yanaweza tokea anywhere kama iivyokua with the Nazis then ikawa Rwnda na machafuko Kenya, unaona uarabuni yalivyo, so, don't be shallow minded my dear fellow member instead be focus halafu don't fear anything but FEAR itself. Acheni kama alivyosema mwenzetu simplemind tusiwe sisi wenyewe tunajitenga wakati hao tunaolalamika wanatuonea(mataifa makubwa) wao wanaungana(you saw the Libya issue), tujaribu kuweka pamoja basing on mahitaji yetu ili tuwe na a stepping stone to start from while trying to go up. Good luck

Katika issue hiyo kila nchi ina maslahi yake mkuu, sasa usikurupuke tu kugeneralize kuwa EAC ina faida nyingi. Wao Rwanda na kenya wanaona kitu kitakachowafaidisha ni wanachama kufungua mipaka na kuruhusu kila raia amiliki mali popote east africa. Wanachotafuta ni ardhi ndo maana wanaipigia kelele Tanzania na sio burundi wala uganda. Kama wana nia njema kwanini wasitangulie kwanza kuunganisha kwanza yale mashirika muhimu kama vile reli, posta, ndege na mengineyo ili tufike kwanza pale ilipokuwepo ile ya zamani? kwanini hawashauri tuunganishe tume za uchaguzi ili tuwe na tume moja ya uchaguzi ambayo haitakuwa inapelekwa na marais, itakuwa huru huku ikiwajibika kwa bunge la afrika mashariki. Hilo swala la free movement of people na property ownership halina maslahi kwa Tanzania kwa sasa na kimsingi linatakiwa lije baada ya mambo mengine kuwekwa sawa.
Aidha kuna jumuiya zingine pia ambazo Tanzania ni mwanachama hasa SADC. Tunatakiwa tujadili ni jumuiya ipi itatulipa kati ya SADC na EAC tulinganishe kisha tuamue ni jumuiya ipi tuipige chini ipi tuendelee nayo. Ukiondoa mtazamo finyu basi ni wazi SADC kuna resorces nyingi na nchi nyingi ziko stable na hivyo tuipe nguvu SADC. Hata kihistoria uhusiano wa Tanzania na nchi nyingi za SADC ni wa kuaminika lkn uhusiano wetu na nchi za EAC ni wa mashaka hasa kenya. Kwa kuzingatia hayo mie naona hamna haja ya Tanzania kusukumwa na presha za Rwanda na kenya.