Kampala, Uganda, 25th February 2025: EABC, in partnership with GIZ, held the two-day consultative workshop on the development of the Regional Services Policy Advocacy Agenda and mechanisms to institutionalize dialogue and advocacy.
The policy agenda aims to strengthen collaborative efforts among stakeholders to ensure better policies, services, and advocacy platforms across various sectors.
In his official opening remarks, Mr. Oscar Kamukama, the EABC Board Member, noted that the services sector in the EAC region has been instrumental in shaping the economic transformation of the region, with services contributing between 40-55% of the region’s GDP. Mr. Kamukama reiterated that, although the sector holds immense promise in fostering sustainable development, investment, and job creation, challenges such as regulatory barriers and market fragmentation continue to impede its full realization. He recommended standardizing licensing requirements, taxes, and the Mutual Recognition of service providers and services in the EAC region.
Mr. Agaba Collins, the Sector Coordinator for Trade, Transport, and Logistics at Key Objectives representing the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), emphasized the need to advocate for the operationalization of the already signed Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for service providers, as well as extend the MRAs to other sectors to promote the free movement of services and service providers, as provided for by the signed EAC Common Market Protocol.
On his part, Mr. Lamech Wesonga, the Economic Policy Advisor to the East African Community Secretariat (EAC) on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), emphasized the need for the private sector from the services sector to engage in discussions to identify restrictions and propose an institutionalized advocacy mechanism at the regional level for consideration and action by the EAC Secretariat and governments.
In her remarks on behalf of the EAC Secretariat, Ms. Annette Kenganzi, the Senior Export Promotion Officer at the EAC Secretariat, commended the EABC for organizing such an important workshop and reiterated the support of the EAC Secretariat in ensuring that the commitments made by the respective governments of EAC Partner States are effectively implemented and that the identified restrictions are removed as provided for in the EAC Common Market Protocol.
Ms. Kenganzi highlighted that the EAC Secretariat and governments have made positive progress in the seven committed service sectors of Business, Distribution, Education, Finance, Communication, Tourism & Travel-related services, and Transport. She stated that negotiations for the liberalization of the remaining five sectors—Construction and related, Environmental, Health-related & Social, and Recreational, Culture & Sporting services—are in progress and urged the private sector, through the EABC, to take part.
The consultative workshop, supported by GIZ, brought together over 40 private sector representatives from diverse industries, including transport and logistics, the health sector, engineering services, professional services, and the ICT sector, among others. The workshop aims to support the EABC in creating an institutionalized mechanism to channel restrictions and advocate for the liberalization of trade in services.
(EABC 2nd Edition Barometer on Trade in Services). Read the full report here:
