BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER
31st October 2013
He was addressing the 19th Steering Committee meeting of the EAC Partnership Fund held recently in Arusha and attended by representatives from the UK/DFID, Germany, Finland, France, Sweden, Norway, European Union, USA, World Bank, Belgium, Canada, Japan and Denmark.
Other participants were Permanent Secretaries in charge of EAC affairs in partner states and EAC Secretariat officials.
Dr. Sezibera said the EAC is currently implementing the 4th EAC Development Strategy which focuses on the full implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol, establishment of the EAC Monetary Union and laying a strong foundation for the EA Political Federation.
“This will stimulate investments, promote employment as well as growth and on the whole, lead to increased diversification and major transformation of the region’s economy,” he explained.
He said since its inception, the Partnership Fund has seen proportionate contribution by the Development Partners’ budget increased from USD 640,920 in 2006 to USD 7,970,250 in FY 2012/13 whereby the expenditure budget was USD6,934,247, equal to 87per cent.
He said the performance of the Partnership Fund for FY 2012/2013 reflected notable impact on the overall regional programme, adding:
“The support of funds towards finalisation of the East African Monetary Union Negotiations cannot go unnoticed as we are nearing the end of the Protocol’s accentuation.”
“Your support has gone a long way in supporting other sectors like the health sector, conformity to free movement of people between countries and establishment of a Grand Free Trade Area (COMESA-EAC-SADC) commonly known as the Tripartite Arrangement,” he added.
He also commended the partnership for establishment and operations of one-stop border posts (OSBP) currently under way at several border posts in the region.
Head Resource Mobilisation Unit at the EAC Secretariat, Dr James Njagu, thanked the development partners for committing themselves to making disbursements totaling USD 7.4 million for the current financial year noting that a three-year results based framework had been finalized.
At the 19th Steering Committee meeting of the EAC Partnership Fund, development partners approved its External Audit Report for FY 2012/2013 which was a condition for disbursement of funds.
Established on September 15, 2006, the EAC Partnership Fund is a basket fund mechanism with annual contributions from Development Partners (DPs) aimed at supporting EAC projects and programmes geared towards regional integration.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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