EAST African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has revolved to have the East African Community (EAC) member states accelerating harmonisation of laws, policies, curricula and certifications to equally treat the region’s citizens.
The EALA members passed the resolution
after receiving and debating a report on sensitisation activities in
partner states, themed: ‘EAC Integration Agenda: Accessing the Gains.
” Under Speaker Dan Kidega, members from
the five countries adopted, with few amendments, the general
recommendations put before them by the team that issued the joint report
after each country had compiled its anecdote.
The members of the report compilation
team are Tanzania’s Nderakindo Kessy, Kenya’s Judith Pareno, Ugandan
Chris Opaka-Okumu and Ms Patricia Hajabakiga of Rwanda.
Moving the motion in the House, Ms
Hajabakiga argued that a conclusion was needed on the report annex
regarding the harmonisation and mutual recognition of academic and
professional qualifications. The EALA called for the synchronisation of
immigration laws in all partner states in terms of work permits and free
movement of persons.
“There is need to provide similar
Certificate of Origin at all EAC custom border posts to ease trade and
avoid forgeries. Let the Summit of Heads of State upgrade Kiswahili as
one of the EAC official languages,” she said.
The MP further underscored the need to
address fear of loss of employment through deliberate measures like
facilitation of skilful nationals in Kiswahili, English and French
languages to take up teaching positions in the needy partner states and
develop specific programmes for unskilled labour and small and medium
entrepreneurs.
“We have to develop an EAC strategy for
development of skills and competitiveness to boost productivity through
vocational training, science and technology as well as expedite
harmonisation of curricula and certification across the region,” said Ms
Hajabakiga.
EALA Chapters met and discussed with
each member state’s stakeholders, including members of the media, local
government authorities, learning institutions, private sector, women and
youth councils, civil societies, members of parliament, border
communities, governments’ institutions, high level dignitaries in
governments, embassies and some ministries.
The exercise emanated from a policy
guidance by the EAC Summit and the decision of the EALA Commission to
reach out to people of East Africa as part of their representatives and
in accordance with EALA’s people-centred strategic plan, 2013-2018.
In Burundi, stakeholders raised concerns
over the sour relationship between some states, demanding the adoption
of French and Kiswahili as the EAC official languages and claiming that
Burundians were ill-treated when seeking to cross borders.
They therefore asked for full and
effective implementation of the Common Market Protocol. Kenya received
accolades for its Department of Immigration and Registration of People
doing all it could to enhance EAC integration and for issuance of work
permit to EAC citizens.
Harmonisation of national laws, policies
and systems to allow smooth implementation of community legal
instruments and mutual recognition of academic and professional
qualifications were cited as serious challenges in Rwanda.
No comments :
Post a Comment