The Ministerial Session of the EAC Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment concluded met last week in Arusha, Tanzania to grant a request by Rwanda for an additional six-month duty waiver on sugar imports, among other business.
The Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment which brings together the Ministers responsible for these dockets in the EAC Partner States gave its approval for the extension of the stay of application of the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) on 38,000 metric tonners of sugar to be imported into Rwanda following a report that the country could not take full advantage of a previous EAC allowance to import 50,000 metric tonnes duty free due to logistical issues.
The Sectoral Council directed that sugar exported from Rwanda to other Partner States attracts a CET rate during the six months the waiver is effective.
It further directed the Secretariat to develop a strategy on sugar production, supply and distribution after observing that persistent shortage of sugar in the region has continued since 2005, despite the commodity being a sensitive product and attracting a duty rate of 100%.
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