Kigali, Rwanda – 25th February 2025: In his remarks during the opening session of the Rwanda Consultative Meeting on the Development of the Regional Services Policy Advocacy Agenda held on 20th & 21st February 2025, organized by the East African Business Council (EABC) and the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat in partnership with GIZ, Mr. Emmanuel Butare, EABC Board Member, lauded the meeting for providing a platform for services sector actors to shape a game-changing policy advocacy agenda aimed at boosting trade in services in the EAC.
He stated that, according to the EABC Barometer on Trade in Services, Rwanda leads in services trade commitments in the region. Based on Annex V of the Common Market Protocol (CMP) on the Schedule of Commitments on the Progressive Liberalization of Services, Burundi scheduled 73 commitments, Kenya 53, Rwanda 100, Tanzania 46, and Uganda 99.
He highlighted that the services sector contributes 40-55% of the region’s GDP. He further emphasized that structured public-private dialogue and smart advocacy are essential to breaking regulatory barriers and enhancing the competitiveness of services within the EAC bloc.
The consultative meeting enabled service sector actors in Rwanda to discuss the implications of policies to services trade across EAC borders and chart out an institutionalized dialogue mechanism to strengthen engagement with governments in a bid to unlock services trade opportunities presented by the EAC Common Market Protocol.
Ms. Anneth Kenganzi, Senior Export Promotion Officer at the EAC Secretariat, emphasized the need to address private sector concerns to ensure that policies effectively support businesses. “Services play a critical role in supporting other sectors such as manufacturing,” she stressed, commending EABC for its instrumental role in negotiations and advocacy for the service sector.
On his part, Mr. Lamech Wesonga, Economic Policy Advisor to the EAC Secretariat on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stressed the importance of dialogue in boosting trade in services in Rwanda and across the EAC. He commended EABC for its proactive initiatives and reiterated GIZ’s commitment to partnering with the private sector and governments to enhance trade in services in the region and across the continent.
The consultative workshop, supported by GIZ, brought together over 40 private sector representatives from diverse industries, including transport and logistics, healthcare, engineering services, professional services, and ICT, among others.
Under the first phase of EAC services liberalisation, Partner States negotiated seven priority service sectors under the EAC CMP; namely business, communications, distribution, education, financial, tourism and travel and transport services. Based on Annex V of the CMP on the Schedule of Commitments on the Progressive Liberalisation of Services, Burundi scheduled 73 commitments, Kenya 53, Rwanda 100, Tanzania 46 and Uganda 99.
At the broad sector level, Rwanda had the highest percentage of sub-sectors with commitments in the old schedule at 76% followed by Uganda at 73%, Kenya and Burundi at 62% and lastly Tanzania at 54%. In the new schedule, Uganda and Rwanda are the leading States, having made commitments in 73% of the potential subsectors; followed by Kenya and Burundi which have tied at 70% and Tanzania at 59%.
Under the AfCFTA, EAC Partner States have made commitments in 5 priority service sectors, in line with AfCFTA Trade in Services Protocol and related guidance. Rwanda leads with 68 sub-sectors, followed by Kenya with 55 sub-sectors. Based on the 5 AfCFTA Priority sectors, EAC has made 157 less commitments under the AfCFTA, at the sub-sector / sub-sub-sector level, which is in line with principles of economic integration given EAC is a common market.
(EABC 2nd Edition Barometer on Trade in Services). Read the full report here:
