EAC faces budget reduction

The East African Community has presented Budget estimates for the Financial Year 2015/2016 totaling to $110, 660,098 to the East African Legislative Assembly sitting in Arusha.

EAC budget was presented to the House by the Deputy Minister for East African Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Abdallah  Sadaala  Abdallah, who also acts as the chair of the council of Minister.

According to a press release, there will be a reduction in the 2015/2016 budget. The previous budget (2014/2015) was $126,110,145 million. This means a reduction of $15,450,047, from the previous year.

According to Amb Valentine Rugwabiza Rwanda’s minister of EAC said  the 2015/2016  Budget will focus on  operationalization of the Single Customs Territory by developing requisite systems and administrative mechanisms, enhanced implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol with particular focus on implementation of the new generation EAC internationalized e-Passport and development of the EAC trading, payments and settlements systems.

Others on the agenda in the budget are the EAC Political Federation which is key priority area on the agenda in the coming Financial Year as the mode of the Constitution making process commences. Other key areas include the   development of cross-border infrastructure including roads, implementation of the Vehicle Load Control Law and sensitization of weighbridge operators.

The chair of the council of Minister also disclosed to the regional legislators that the budget for 2015/2016 also aims at supporting   the developing of EAC industrialization policy. According to the minister the policy will guide the development of the small medium enterprises in the region.

Explaining how the $110.6millon dollar budget will be shared by the EAC institution or organs the Minister said the East African Community Secretariat will be allocated ($69,636,849), the East African Legislative Assembly ($15,865,646) and the East African Court of Justice ($4,301,551).

Other EAC agencies to get the share include The Inter-University Council for East Africa shall receive ($4,507,648), Lake Victoria Basin Commission ($10,137,163) while $ 3,091,097 is earmarked for the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization.   On their part, the East African Science and Technology Commission shall receive ($ 726,755), East African Kiswahili Commission ($ 756,361) and the East African Health Research Commission ($ 935,498). A new outfit, East African Competition Authority is to benefit from $701,530 in the Financial Year.