{{East African Community (EAC) member states have been urged to improve their business environments and make the region business-friendly.
By so doing profits will be generated for the states and their citizens.}}
The call was made here yesterday by East Africa Community Business Council (EABC) chairman Vimal Shah, during the regional business council’s annual meeting.
Mr Shah stressed the importance of a business-friendly environment in attracting investors.
“Improving the business environment will lure capital investments from local and foreign investors, which at the end will benefit countries and people through increased revenues and employment opportunities,” said Mr Shah.
“We are obliged to improve the customs and cargo shipment system in our major ports, notably Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, since they are the major inlets and outlets of local and foreign products.”
Taking into account the fact that agriculture employs over 80 per cent of East African workforce, Mr Shah advised all five member states to improve the sector as a major means of alleviating poverty.
“Our schools and colleges must also put emphasis on agricultural science to enable the bloc to produce its own agricultural experts amply,” he explained.
One of the major areas which the member states should adopt was a combined promotion of tourism and natural attractions found in all five countries as opposed to the existing situation where each country promotes its own attractions, he noted.
Explaining on business cooperation in the region, EABC vice chairperson Esther Mkwizu said the region’s business volume increased to $4.5 billion in 2011 from $2.5 billion in 2005.
The acting EAC deputy secretary general for political federation, Mr Charles Njoroge, assured businesses in the region that the community’s secretariat had completed a set-up that would make EAC a strong federation — economically, socially and politically.
He called on EABC to increase cooperation with the member states so that all agreements and resolutions reached to improve business environment in the region are implemented as well as removing trade barriers “to facilitate a powerful regional market of commodities, services and labour”.
Mwananchi Communications Limited chief operations officer Francis Nanai urged EAC members to work together and avoid misunderstandings. According to Mr Nanai, the emergence of the Coalition of the Willing was a challenge for the bloc.
NMG
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