Common Market needs coordination - Mutabingwa

The Deputy Secretary General of the EAC, Alloys Mutabingwa, has called on partner states to use a coordinated working approach if the Common Market Protocol is to achieve its intended objectives. The Protocol, which has now been ratified by all the five member states, will come into force effective July 1 this year. “There shouldn’t be any mismatch between what one country and the others are doing,” Mutabingwa said during an ongoing EAC meeting in Kampala. The ten-day meeting is considering the annex on social security and the other on mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications. “They should do everything together so that the market becomes common, otherwise it will be difficult to realize results of a common market.” Mutabingwa explained that for this to be done, there will be need for a coordinated approach which will chart the way forward for the protocol to work effectively. “It requires a master plan reflecting on what is required to be done, when it is supposed to be done and who does what,” he said. On the transfer of social benefits among partner states, the EAC official said that preparations are under way to begin the process, but warned that there is need to harmonise social security policies in the region. “For example, Kenya and Uganda are using the provident fund system, the remaining three countries are using the social security system. There is need to harmonize these,” he pointed out. Upon completion, the draft resolutions on both annexes will be forwarded to the Council of Ministers for consideration. Ends

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Common Market needs coordination - Mutabingwa