EAC customs union: Rwanda on course

The move to integrate Rwanda in the East African Community Customs Union by 2010 is on track and in final stages. Peter Kiguta, Director General Customs and Trade at the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat said, “We are now working on the harmonisation of policies and laws. We are training staff on the customs management laws,” he said in a recent interview with The New Times.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Juma Mwapachu, Secretary General EAC.

The move to integrate Rwanda in the East African Community Customs Union by 2010 is on track and in final stages.

Peter Kiguta, Director General Customs and Trade at the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat said, "We are now working on the harmonisation of policies and laws. We are training staff on the customs management laws,” he said in a recent interview with The New Times.

At state level, Rwanda has already harmonised its fiscal policy with that of other partner states including Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Meaning in July next year, all the four countries will read their budgets on the same day.

Rwanda has been reading its budget in December. The East African Customs Union aims at removing trade barriers amongst its member states.

"Making the Customs Union is very important because it will make it easy to integrate. Our people are interested in benefits of integration such as free movement of goods and people. The Customs Union is the spring board; if it is not operational, it will not be possible to achieve the latter stage of integration,” he explained.

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