East African Business Week (Kampala)
Dar es Salaam — The East African Community
(EAC) has cautioned the European Union to make sure it strives to end
the economic crisis it is currently facing if it is to be a role model
in cementing the East African regional integration bloc
Speaking to East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week during a round table discussion on regional Integration and Trade: East African Community and European Union perspectives that was organized by the EU and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Dar es salaam, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of EAC Affairs, Mr Mussa Uledi said, it was disappointing to learn that the EU regional bloc from where the EAC has been drawing much of the lessons on integration was currently facing economic crisis.
Mr. Uledi said that Tanzania has been pursuing regional integration for over three decades seeking it for both regional trade, international relational tool and also as a way of looking for good neighborship with other states.According to Uledi, Tanzania still believe that integration of EAC will one day instill the dream of the United States of Africa which was a Pan Africanism dream that had been foreseen by the first African heads of states.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary for EAC Mr Uledi Mussa speaks as EU Ambassador Filiberto Sebregondi looks on Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
He insisted that there was need for academicians to make sure that they conduct thorough research on the EAC and its integration in order to come up with the benefits of the integration instead of mocking it as a baseless unity that does not aim at improving the lives of the East African population and Tanzania in particular.
"We should stop blaming ourselves and pointing only at the negative aspect that could be experienced by Tanzanians due to this integration because such words will only aim at discouraging the local citizen participation in this integration," the Deputy Permanent Secretary for EAC Affairs insisted.
"There has been an increase in export to around Tsh450 million ($288,461) by the end of last year in 2011 compared to the figures that were being experience way back before the integration of less than Tsh.100 million ($64,102) a year," Mr. Uledi said. He therefore advised academicians to help the government propagate integration so that the public can use the opportunity that comes with integration instead of them being a stumbling block into feeding the public with the effects of integration Tanzania might face.
The European Union Ambassador to Tanzania and EAC Mr. Filiberto Sebregondi said, he was optimistic that the EAC membership countries will grow as other countries sees the benefits that comes with integration.
Sebregondi said that the integration for EAC should be looked at as a progressive process and not just as a short life span. The EU started with six countries and now we have progressed and seen more than 20 countries joining in" Ambassador Sebregondi said.
Prof. Robert Mabere of the University of Dar Salaam differed with the Ambassador by saying that just like the purpose of the then colonies on African countries seeking for raw materials, the purpose of the EU and EAC integration were aimed at the former benefiting from the EAC resources.
Prof. Mabere said that just like the failure of the implementation and yielding no results to African countries by the Coconou Agreement treaties between African countries and EU countries, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) can never be realized because Africa can hardly trade with more vibrant economies of the EU states. "You can only have the reciprocal in trade with someone you are equal with" Prof. Mabere said and added that the flow of EU goods to the African market as a result of tariffs removal being proposed by in the agreement will make local industries fail to compete in the market."
Last week, one of the local paper in Tanzania quoted former President of Tanzania Mr. Benjamin Mkapa stressed that EPA agreements as they stand, contained a lot of problematic elements that will have an impact on African countries' ability to develop and industrialize.
Mr. Mkapa noted that our local and regional market will be opened up even more than, currently case to EU products and this could end up damaging our local industries, stymieing their growth, and remaining as raw materials and primary commodities exporters while noting that the research by the South Center had shown that locally produced materials like maize, cereal bran, barley in the EAC may be put at risk.
Speaking to East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week during a round table discussion on regional Integration and Trade: East African Community and European Union perspectives that was organized by the EU and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Dar es salaam, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of EAC Affairs, Mr Mussa Uledi said, it was disappointing to learn that the EU regional bloc from where the EAC has been drawing much of the lessons on integration was currently facing economic crisis.
Mr. Uledi said that Tanzania has been pursuing regional integration for over three decades seeking it for both regional trade, international relational tool and also as a way of looking for good neighborship with other states.According to Uledi, Tanzania still believe that integration of EAC will one day instill the dream of the United States of Africa which was a Pan Africanism dream that had been foreseen by the first African heads of states.
He insisted that there was need for academicians to make sure that they conduct thorough research on the EAC and its integration in order to come up with the benefits of the integration instead of mocking it as a baseless unity that does not aim at improving the lives of the East African population and Tanzania in particular.
"We should stop blaming ourselves and pointing only at the negative aspect that could be experienced by Tanzanians due to this integration because such words will only aim at discouraging the local citizen participation in this integration," the Deputy Permanent Secretary for EAC Affairs insisted.
"There has been an increase in export to around Tsh450 million ($288,461) by the end of last year in 2011 compared to the figures that were being experience way back before the integration of less than Tsh.100 million ($64,102) a year," Mr. Uledi said. He therefore advised academicians to help the government propagate integration so that the public can use the opportunity that comes with integration instead of them being a stumbling block into feeding the public with the effects of integration Tanzania might face.
The European Union Ambassador to Tanzania and EAC Mr. Filiberto Sebregondi said, he was optimistic that the EAC membership countries will grow as other countries sees the benefits that comes with integration.
Sebregondi said that the integration for EAC should be looked at as a progressive process and not just as a short life span. The EU started with six countries and now we have progressed and seen more than 20 countries joining in" Ambassador Sebregondi said.
Prof. Robert Mabere of the University of Dar Salaam differed with the Ambassador by saying that just like the purpose of the then colonies on African countries seeking for raw materials, the purpose of the EU and EAC integration were aimed at the former benefiting from the EAC resources.
Prof. Mabere said that just like the failure of the implementation and yielding no results to African countries by the Coconou Agreement treaties between African countries and EU countries, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) can never be realized because Africa can hardly trade with more vibrant economies of the EU states. "You can only have the reciprocal in trade with someone you are equal with" Prof. Mabere said and added that the flow of EU goods to the African market as a result of tariffs removal being proposed by in the agreement will make local industries fail to compete in the market."
Last week, one of the local paper in Tanzania quoted former President of Tanzania Mr. Benjamin Mkapa stressed that EPA agreements as they stand, contained a lot of problematic elements that will have an impact on African countries' ability to develop and industrialize.
Mr. Mkapa noted that our local and regional market will be opened up even more than, currently case to EU products and this could end up damaging our local industries, stymieing their growth, and remaining as raw materials and primary commodities exporters while noting that the research by the South Center had shown that locally produced materials like maize, cereal bran, barley in the EAC may be put at risk.
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