Friday, 16^th September 2022: – Mr. David Beer the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) paid a courtesy visit to the East African Business Council Secretariat Headquarters and deliberated on areas of partnership to accelerate  growth of trade and investments and improve the business environment in the EAC bloc.

Speaking during the visit, Mr. John Bosco Kalisa said “EABC appreciates TMEA’s partnership under the EABC -TMEA Public Private Dialogue Programme for Increased Trade and Investment in the EAC and the EABC-TMEA Safe Trade Project.”

Mr. Kalisa said through TMEA’s support the EABC successfully convened Public Private Dialogues with Ministers and conducted evidence-based research to inform policies making. He stated that one of the success stories is the adoption of 35% as the Maximum Common External Tariff by EAC Partner States that will boost industrialization in the region. The 35% CET rate is set to increase EAC Governments revenue generation by 5.5% and increase intra-EAC trade by $18.9 million.

Mr. David Beer was accompanied by Mr. Frank Matsaert, Outgoing CEO of TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) and Ms. Monica Hangi, TMEA Country Director Tanzania and Ms. Theresia Komba from TMEA.

Mr. Kalisa expounded that EABC partnered with TMEA on the Safe Trade Project to reduce barriers to trade amid COVID-19. Following, EABC’s robust advocacy EAC Partner States have harmonized COVID-19 measures and uplifted COVID-19 re-testing for fully vaccinated passengers.

Key achievements from the EABC-TMEA Programme include ratification of the AfCFTA Agreement by Burundi and Tanzania, ratification of the EAC Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Protocol, admission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into the EAC and Re-opening of the Katuna – Gatuna One Stop Border Post.

Other areas discussed include: Liberalization of EAC air space, trade remedies and the African Continental Free Trade Area.