The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on Monday resumed its plenary sessions in Arusha, Tanzania, with the review of the accounts’ report for the financial year ended June 30, 2017, among issues up for consideration during the three-week sitting. According to a communiqué from the regional House, the sitting which runs up to May 18 will also debate on the East African Community Youth Council Bill, 2017. The Bill aims to provide a legal framework for the harmonization of laws and policies regarding the youth in the Community. This Bill is premised on Article 120 of the EAC Treaty and in particular seeks to implement the EAC Youth Policy, 2014, which is an integral component of the bloc’s fourth development strategy. The development strategy identifies, among others, strengthening and promotion of policies, laws and programmes that focus on the development of youth in the Community. Last month, EALA held public hearings in the partner states to concretize the inputs and views of youth among other stakeholders on the Bill. The report of the Committee on Accounts was debated but not adopted when the Assembly met in Arusha in November last year. Instead, the House asked the Committee on Accounts chaired by MP Ngwaru Maghembe (Tanzania), to revise the recommendations contained therein the report to make it more time bound and actionable. The House is expected to receive an update on the matter. Also, to be tabled and debated is a key report of the Committee of Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on oversight with stakeholders for budgetary enhancement in the agricultural sector, an activity which took place in March. Other significant issues at the forthcoming plenary are key meetings of all House Committees – the Committee on Accounts; the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources; the Committee on General Purpose; the Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution; the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment; and the Committee on Legal Rules and Privileges. The whole House will also meet with a number of stakeholders. A sensitization workshop on Tripartite Transport and Transit facilitation programme (TTTFP) is planned to apprise the House of progress in the transport and infrastructure sector. The aim of the programme anchored under the EAC, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) tripartite arrangement, is to facilitate the development of a more competitive, integrated and liberalized road transport are in the process of developing common standards. The initiative has already carried out baseline studies in 19 participating member states and the workshop is anticipated as an avenue to unpack the TTTFP legal instruments of the proposed Vehicle Load Management Agreement as well as developed model laws and other standards. The One Stop Border Post Control law enacted by EALA is already in force. The Assembly has a principle of rotation and thus holds six plenary sessions in every financial year. The last sitting was held in the isles of Zanzibar from February 16 to March 9. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
