East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, Thursday 3 May 2010: The East African Legislative Assembly today passed the East African Community Budget for the Financial Year 2010/2011 at its 5th Meeting-3rd Session held at the Mombasa Municipal Council Chambers. The Budget, amounting to US$ 59,963,040, was passed after the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Minister for East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Dr. Diodorus Buberwa Kamala (MP) had brilliantly and to the satisfaction of the Honourable Members all the querries they had raised on some aspects of the Budget.
Under the Chairmanship of Hon. Abdirahin Haithar Abdi, the Speaker of the Assembly; the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers urged the Honourable Members to support the Budget that is geared towards propelling further the gains so far attained in the regional integration process.
The Chairperson of EAC Council of Ministers commended Members of EALA for the oversight role that they do exercise for the betterment of the Community and their quest to speed up the process towards widening and deepening the integration process.
Themed Operationalizing the Common Market and Laying the Foundation for a Monetary Union, the East African Community budget for the Financial Year 2010/2011 focuses on 24 priority areas among them is finalization of the 4th EAC Development Strategy and Information and Communication Policy and Strategy; consolidation of the Customs Union; operationalizing of the EAC Common Market; tabling to the EALA such Bills required for the implementation of the Common Market; tabling to the EALA Bills on Counterfeits and Piracy, One Stop Border Posts, HIV and AIDS and Public Private Funding of Infrastructure Projects; setting the ground and launching the negotiations of the EAC Monetary Union; and strengthening the integration of Rwanda and Burundi to the Community.
Deepening co-operation in Defence, Security and Political matters; promotion of sustainable management and utilization of Environment and Natural Resource; enhancing the implementation of the Lake Victoria Development Programmes; continuation of the construction of the EAC Headquarters; conclusion of the EPA negotiations; conclusion of the Tripartite Free Trade Area arrangements of COMESA-EAC and SADC; enhancement the capacity of Inter University Council for East Africa towards realization of a better working East Africa Education System; and putting in place the EAC-Development Fund are also the priority areas of focus in the EAC Budget Estimates for 2010/2011.
The EAC Budget passed by EALA totals US$ 59,963,040. The Budget exceeds the previous year’s Budget by 11%. The EAC budget for the Financial Year 2009/2010 was US$ 54, 257,291.
The Budget is allocated to the Organs/Institutions as follows: East African Community Secretariat: US$ 26,836,651; Defence Liaison Unit: US$ 910,244; Customs and Trade: US$ 3,696,411; East African Legislative Assembly: US$ 10,520,361; East African Court of Justice: US$ 2,841,777; and Lake Victoria Basin Commission:US$ 15,157,596.
The Budget is to be financed by contribution from Partner States of US$ 30,748,369; development partners’ contribution totalling US$ 29,141,051; and Miscellaneous Income of US$ 73,620.
Meanwhile, in a motion moved by Hon. Dr. James Ndahiro (Rwanda), the Assembly today resolved that the EAC Council of Ministers should delay the signing of the EPAs Framework with a view to urging the EU to work with EAC Partner States to review and revise the Framework to include interests of both parties. The Assembly also resolved that the draft Framework be subjected to the Parliamentary approval process both in the Partner States and at regional level.
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Department of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
EAC Secretariat – Arusha, Tanzania
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