Kampala,
Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has today addressed the 4th Meeting
of the 2nd Session of the 3rd East African Legislative Assembly in
Kampala, Uganda.
A section of Members stand for the EAC anthem during the Special Sitting.
The Speaker of EALA with President Yoweri Museveni to the Parliament of Uganda.
The President is led into the Chambers by the EALA Serjeant-at-Arms with the Speaker in tow.
The Speaker of EALA receives President Yoweri Museveni to the Parliament of Uganda.
The
President maintained that the EAC was on course and its progress
irreversible. The President noted that the Community was on the verge
of prosperous economic development and better quality of life for its
citizens following the significant progress in a number of
socio-economic and political spheres.
The
Head of State remarked that what the region now needed was to strengthen
competitiveness, address costs doing business and reduce risks.
He
noted that free movement was a key aspect of strengthening integration
and remarked that the Republic of Uganda was committed to ensuring the
Identity Cards’ project would soon be computerized to spur free
movement.
“Once this is done, many more people who cannot access passports which are expensive to acquire”, President Museveni remarked.
On
matters business, the Head of State remarked that the on-going
digitization of customs’ systems had made business to be more efficient.
The
Head of State called for the opening up and the enhancement of the
central corridor to fast track business opportunities and the clearance
of cargo. He remarked that the President of the United Republic of
Tanzania, H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete would review and revert back to the
Summit over the matter. The President said Uganda would commence the
construction of the standard gauge railway from Malaba to Nimule and
from Malaba to Kasese to Rwanda border.
The
President urged the region to reduce the costs of transportation. A
forty foot container From Shanghai to Beijing costs on average 1600 USD,
while it costs USD 3700 from Kampala to Mombasa. But the distance
between the two cities in China is 1,238 Miles while that of Mombasa to
Kampala is 1212, President Museveni added. “ Ideally, the costs are
high and the days are many due to inefficiencies”, he remarked. This
affects competition and catching up is a challenge”, he added.
The
business community, President Museveni said need to reap profits and
create employment to enhance their economies, adding that real
competition was not between neighbours in EAC but between the region and
other nations.
On the
Single Tourism Visa, President Museveni maintained that the new date of
implementation is February 2014. He said that the countries had put in
place systems of revenue sharing. The share arrangement is such that
the single entry visa costs USD 100 and that any. country that issues
the visa is entitled to a 10 USD, then in addition, equitably sharing
the balance accordingly while the rest of the Partner States.
The
President however cited violence and instability as hindering factors to
prosperity in the continent. The conflicts, President Museveni added
are fueled by ideological mistakes. The Head of State noted that
instability in Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Somalia
among others had an impact on the region. He challenged countries to
strive to see maintain nationalism. Prosperity arises out of nationalism
and it is in the best interests of citizens of the region to attain
this fact while putting to an end sectarianism.
The
President said Uganda’s economy was expected to grow by USD 28 Billion
(Uganda Shillings 70 trillion) at the end of the financial year and
remarked that the economy had expanded nineteen-fold than it was in 1986
when the NRM took power.
He
hailed the region for realizing the Monetary Union and cited
infrastructure as a stimuli for development. Such include roads,
telecommunications, ICTs, piped water and electricity among others.
The
Head of State said the government had revamped East African Civil
Aviation Academy (Soroti Flying School) and was looking at enhanced
remuneration for the piloting staff to enable them deliver. The
statement came in response to EALA Speaker’s plea for the transfer of
the Soroti Flying School to be an institution of the EAC.
The President noted that the future and destiny of the region was in their own destiny.
In
attendance were key government officials led by the Vice President of
the Republic of Uganda, Hon Edward Ssekandi, EALA Members and
representatives of the diplomatic corp among others.
In her
welcome remarks, the Speaker of the EALA, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo
Zziwa noted that the Sitting was taking place at an irreversible time in
the regional integration process. She noted the envisaged entry of the
Monetary Union as key in the integration process.
“The
signing of the integration pillar was a milestone and I thank the Summit
and the Partner States for the historic achievement, Dr Zziwa
maintained.
The
Speaker urged the region to draw upon the important lessons from other
regions in order to manage the roadmap to the single currency carefully.
“It is
in our best interest to consult widely as a region to avoid what befell
the Euro Zone – which today continues to reel from economic depression,
huge public debts and unemployment” she added. The Speaker noted that
the region had made significant accomplishments in 2013. She cited
infrastructural advancements in rail, energy ports and habors sub-sector
as some of the achievements.
“I
note the positive construction of the Standard Gauge railway which
commenced last year while concerted efforts were made to decongest the
ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam”, the Speaker said.
Rt.
Hon Zziwa urged the stakeholders including the Private Sector to sustain
efforts to rid Non Tariff Barriers. “It is time for the Private sector
for example to oversee an industry developed, implemented and monitored
code that checks out on NTBs or their re-emergence”, Rt. Hon Zziwa
said.
On
peace and security, the Speaker called for all cessation of hostilities
in South Sudan noting that the recent deployment of the UPDF in Juba was
sanctioned by the IGAD to stop the conflict from degenerating any
further.
Rt.
Hon Zziwa shared the scorecard of 3rd EALA so far, over the last one
year to an attentive audience. She cited, inter-alia, the passage of 7
key Bills (One Stop Border Post Bill, 2012, EAC Vehicle Load Control
Bill, 2012, EAC Appropriation Bill, 2012, EAC Supplementary
Appropriation Bill, 2013, the East African Community Customs Management
(Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2012 and the EAC Public Holidays Bill, 2013),
several Reports and 25 Resolutions – all key to integration
dispensation.
Over
the next two weeks, the Plenary shall debate on the EAC Co-operatives
Societies Bill, 2013, debate on the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Bill, 2014, the EAC Integration (Education) Bill 2014 and the
EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2014. The Assembly is also set to
debate and adopt various Committee Reports that shall be brought to the
floor of the House.
Moving the vote of thanks, Hon Joseph Kiangoi noted that Uganda had progressed following the leadership of President Museveni.
“Your
passion for education for all is helping to develop the country. The
initiatives on science and technology in higher institutions of learning
cannot go unnoticed. This has resulted in the building of an
electrical car (The Kiira EV) in Uganda a few years ago, the only kind
in East Africa. Today, Mzee’s government is spearheading innovations in
agriculture, health and in ICTs. This is laudable” Hon Kiangoi
remarked.
Hon Kiangoi said that EALA was committed to actively playing its mandate to strengthen integration
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