East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA-East African Community Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera last week concluded a one week working visit to Uganda during which he met several government officials including President Yoweri Museveni.
Among the officials he met was the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga who criticized the Kenyan government for mistreating Ugandan importers using the Mombasa port. She said that the Kenyan government is violating the international law which allows landlocked countries like Uganda to use the port without any inconveniences.
According to the Convention on Transit Trade of Land-Locked States, there should be equal and free access of seas between coastal states and states with no sea-coasts.
"To this end, states situated between the sea and a state having no sea-coast shall by common agreement with the latter and in conformity with existing international conventions accord: to the state having no sea-coast, on a basis of reciprocity, free transit through their territory," the convention states in part.
"Therefore Uganda is supposed to have equal access to the nearest port but Kenya is treating us as foreigners, it is also cheaper to transport goods from Europe to Mombasa than from Mombasa to Kampala," she explained.
She further explained that a trader pays $2000 to ship goods from Europe to Mombasa but pays $6000 to clear them at Mombasa.
Amb.Sezibera also met Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Eriya Kategaya and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa in Kampala.
He briefed Minister Kategaya on the programmes he intends to implement during his tenure that include the strengthening the operations of the EAC Customs Union and implementing the EAC Common Market Protocol. Others are concluding the negotiations of the EAC Monetary Union; putting in place a robust regional infrastructure and involving the people of East African in the regional integration process.
Minister Kategaya pledged Uganda's firm commitment and support to the integration process.
Dr. Sezibera who also toured the premises of the East African Development Bank (EADB) urged East African citizens to support the establishment of a regional currency to guard against the effects of currency fluctuations and boost cross-border investments and trade.
He said volatility of the shilling in most East African countries has hampered investments especially in financial markets.
"I am committed to work closely with the bank to boost its capacity to finance agriculture, Small and Medium Enterprises and larger projects to boost productivity," he noted. He said that a number of initiatives are being undertaken to increase exports from the region.