AfricaPress-Tanzania: A member of East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), Adam Kimbisa has cited corruption as one of the key challenges thwarting the East Africa Community (EAC) integration agenda.
Kimbisa who is also the leader of the Tanzania Chapter revealed this over the weekend in Dar es Salaam when speaking to reporters about the achievement of EALA.
He said that most of the partner states are said to have lost the war against the corruption, urging them collectively address the vice for the wellbeing of the East African people.
Other challenges according to Kimbisa include lack of political commitment among partner states, weak institutions that lack the capacity to enforce sanctions against member countries that fail to implement protocols.
also described the selection process of the members of EALA is not democratic as they are handpicked by partner states with the absence of the citizens’ views.
Non-tariff barriers, poor infrastructure and energy shortages, limited private sector engagement are other impediments to economic growth in the region, the EALA member said, citing the issue of peace and security as another challenges facing the trading bloc with more than 177million people.
He however said that EALA has successfully established itself into a strong and effective regional legislature and registered a number of achievements.
“Legislative is an important arm of the community. Since its inception in 2001, the Assembly has passed over 70 pieces of legislation, a number of which are very fundamental in the EAC integration process,” he said.
Laws enacted by the Assembly take precedence over similar national ones on matters pertaining to the community, he said.
added that the regional law making body is determined to ensure that the necessary laws that facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the treaty for the establishment of the EAC and other attendant agreements that will drive the integration process are have been, and will be enacted. Apart from an oversight body, EALA serves as democratic link between the institutions of the East African Community and the people of East Africa.
“EALA, like any other legislature is the peoples’ voice for the citizens of East Africa about the commitments and policies of their governments to the EAC. It has done this through Public Hearings, workshops, seminars, and public rallies on all major stages of integration and legislations,” said Kimbisa
according to him has also been successful in the area of liaison with National Assemblies of Partner States. He said there is constant interaction between the Assembly and their counter parts in the National Assemblies of the Partner States through various forums such as Speakers Bureau and Assembly Committees on EAC Affairs among others to discuss matters of regional integration.
former Mayor of Dar es Salaam City noted that EALA is expected to engage itself to the various stakeholder groups in the EAC by undertaking the sensitisation activities in the partner states.
said the activities also create an opportunity for participants to be better informed on the processes of regional integration and role of EALA within the dispensation.
