Home
About KenInvest
Contacts
Careers
Tenders
- Published on Thursday, 26 March 2015 07:38
Regional traders can now breath a sigh of relief after a key bill on eliminating non-tariff barriers (NTBs) sailed through its third reading on Tuesday pending assent by heads of states.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) passed Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers Bill 2015 after intense debate in Arusha.
Discussion on the proposed law began on Monday but was later adjourned following a motion introduced by the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Abdullah Saadalla Abdullah, to allow for further consultations.
The Bill seeks to provide a legal mechanism for eliminating identified non-tariff barriers in partner states.
As of February this year, about 24 NTBs remained unresolved while 69 were cumulatively handled by all member states. Eight others were reported as new.
The Bill also seeks to give effect to Article 13 of the protocol on establishing a regional customs union, in which partner states agreed to remove with immediate effect all existing NTBs regarding movement of goods and people.
This would have the effect of not imposing any new NTBs.
It also sought to establish a mechanism for identifying and monitoring the removal of barriers within the partner states.
The debate was preceded by the adoption of the report of the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment, which considered the Bill last week.
The team, led by EALA member Mukasa Mbidde, met with the Council of Ministers and experts from the customs and trade directorate and proposed amendments to the effect that respective ministries of the EAC in each partner state be mandated to be national focal points for matters related to NTBs.
ANY PERSON AGGRIEVED
The committee further proposed an amendment to clause 12 (on failures of the removal of NTBs) to provide for reference at the East African Court of Justice by any person aggrieved by a directive, decision or recommendation of the EAC Council of Ministers or the EAC committee on trade remedies.
The EAC Secretariat prepares a quarterly report on the status of eliminating NTBs that boosts ongoing efforts by the national monitoring committees and the EAC regional forum on NTBs to redress NTBs affecting intra-EAC trade.
Source: Nation Media Group
