{TANZANIA will take over the chairmanship of the East African Community (EAC) at a meeting of heads of state of the regional bloc to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday.}
According to a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Co-operation, Ms Joyce Mapunjo, Tanzania, which takes over the seat from Kenya, will hold the chairmanship of the EAC for one year according to Section 12(2) of the EAC agreement.
The EAC Summit would be preceded by technical committees, permanent secretaries and minister’s meetings held between November 20 to 27.
“In the tenure of the chairmanship, Tanzania will strive to maintain the achievements recorded under the previous term and continue to lay strategies to ensure integration among the states is maintained as per agreement and protocols of its establishment,” she said.
Priority would also be accorded to incorporating the private sector and other stakeholders in the implementation of the bloc’s programmes and activities, as well as benefit from opportunities emanating from them, she added.
The 16th EAC Summit will also be preceded by the third task force meeting of the heads of state on development of infrastructure within the region.
The meeting will receive a report on the implementation of directives given in the second meeting held in November 2012 which spelt out 72 priority infrastructure development projects in roads, rail, energy and ports.
So far, 16 projects have been completed, 39 at different stages of implementation, while 17 others were still at preliminary stages awaiting funding.
On the part of Tanzania, four projects have been completed including provision of electricity to Kibondo township and construction of Mbezi-Shule-Tangi Bovu and Nelson Mandela- Tabata roads junction. Another road project covering Nyangunge-Musoma-Sirari as well part of Simiyu-Musoma road which joins Tanzania and Kenya had been completed.
According to the agenda, the heads of state will also receive a report from the council of ministers on developments made in the integration process in the period between November 3013 and this month.
They will also discuss progress made in working on South Sudan and Somalia’s application to join the EAC and budgetary contributions of the member states to the union.
Others on the agenda is the question of political federation and empowerment of the EA Court of Justice.
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