EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
2ND MEETING OF THE 2ND SESSION
OF THE
EAST AFRICAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Bujumbura, Burundi
20th October -1st November 2013
PRIORITY QUESTIONS FOR ORAL
ANSWERS
October
2013
1.0
QUESTION
: EALA/PQ/OA/3/23/2013 (By Hon. Angella Kizigha)
A
visa is a necessary travel document to a foreign country. Embassies issue
guidelines on how to access visa’s prior to travel to a particular country.
Some of the guidelines require that applications are made three months prior to
the date of travel to allow for sufficient time for verification which
sometimes results into denial of visas. Given the scenario;
(i)
Is the Chair of Council aware that a number of
people passing through the East African Community airports for their visa’s on
arrival? Is he further aware that this gives limited time for verifications to
determine who qualifies or does not qualify for entry visa’s?
(ii)
Could he give assurances that the above situation
does not abet irregular immigration and insecurity
(iii)
What measures has the EAC put in place to safeguard
itself from the “freely walk into East African and easily get a visa on demand
at the port syndrome?”
Madam Speaker,
I wish to inform this August
House that the issue of Visa guidelines and issuance by each EAC Partner State is guided
by the prevailing Immigration law, policies administrative guidelines, Manuals and other
government directives which are reviewed as and when need arises, informed by
the circumstances which warrant such
reviews.
Each country has different
Visa categories which range from transit, single entry, multiple entry,
official, diplomatic, tourist, group tourist, Business, education and medical
visas. The conditions attached to the issuance of whichever category are
stipulated in the instruments I have mentioned which prescribe the charges and
duration of the category of the visa to be issued and which differ from one
Partner State to another.
Madam
Speaker,
With regard to issuing Visas
on arrival, preconditions are specified in the visa regulations, policies, and management
guidelines of the Partner State.
Countries that require
referral visas normally have their applications processed at the Immigration
Headquarters ahead of someone’s travel. In some cases, it may take over a month
or two to conclude the visa processing requirements. . It is true that some
Partner States have also enabled visitors to apply for their entry visas online
but since the visa payments have to be
done at the entry point, the visa stamp/sticker is issued on arrival depending
on the bilateral relationships existing between the particular Partner State
and the national(s) of the specific foreign country seeking to enter the
destination.
Madam
Speaker,
The issuance of visa at the
point of arrival does not necessarily abet irregular immigration and
insecurity. In fact, the challenge of irregular immigration and insecurity is
contributed more by those who enter East Africa through the unmanned entry
points than those who enter the
countries legitimately.
Madam
Speaker,
The processes towards
harmonizing the visa regimes in the context of the Community are ongoing. Upon
Council’s directives, Partner States’ Chiefs of Immigration Offices continue to
meet, deliberate of matters of mutual interest and propose on modalities for
strengthening the modus for allowing them carry out their mandate as stipulated
by their Partner States’ laws. Partner
States continue to install online bio-data capturing and verification equipment
at entry points.
Madam
Speaker,
The above outlined procedures
notwithstanding, I wish to inform this august House that the processes towards
harmonizing the visa regimes in the Community are ongoing. We are aware that
not all Partner States have diplomatic presence in every foreign land yet
applicants are from every corner of the world. As such, we are developing a
mechanism by which Partner States Diplomatic Missions will be processing visas
on behalf of each other as contained in the protocol on foreign relations
cordination. The guidelines will be worked out and where some Partner States’
visa issuance instruments will require amendments, we shall ensure those areas
are looked into.
The East African Community
has also signed an MOU with Interpol which aims at accessing assistance as a
region, including training, equipment, information alerts management, among
others. Furthermore, we are in advanced stages of operationalising the EAC
Regional Forensic Centre, to be hosted in Uganda, which will also complement
the Community’s other multi-faceted interventions on, among others, migration
security.
Madam
Speaker,
It is therefore clear that
all EAC Partner States continue to put in place measures aimed at guaranteeing
security of visa issuance. They are also working together to share best
practices and to contribute to a secure East Africa.
2.0
QUESTION : EALA/PQ/OA/3/24/2013 (By Hon.
Shy-Rose Bhanji)
The
East Africa Market Newsletter of 2nd July 2013 emphatically reported
that, starting January, 2016, the EAC passports will gain international
acceptance and utilisation. It was also reported that the process of
internationalising the passports will commence in July 2015 when the Partner
States are expected to procure booklets and issuance systems and conclude the
exercise by October 2015.
(i) Arising
from the reports, can the Chair of the Council;-
a)
Confirm this development to the August House?
b)
Inform this August House what the roadmap is and
what the process will involve?
c) Indicate
to this August House which countries have been lined up to pioneer the acceptance
of the EAC Passports?
d) Inform
this August House what the Council intends to do to popularize the acquisition
and usage of the internationalised EAC Passports.
(ii) Furthermore,
given that the current EAC Passports as they are now play a key role in
assisting East Africans to move freely in the region; what measures are
currently being taken by the Council to enhance their acquisition by ordinary
East Africans? In addition, could the Chair of the Council state to this House
how many EAC Passports have been issued by each Partner State as of 30th
July 2013? What is the cost of each EAC Passport in the respective Partner
States? What is the procedure to obtain EA Passports by the ordinary East
Africans?
Madam Speaker,
The report cited by Hon.
Shy-Rose Bhanji
may have been derived from the record of the proceedings of the 18th
Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers Responsible for EAC Affairs and
Planning which took place in Arusha from the 18th -21st
June 2013. The Community has prioritized the internationalization of the new
Generation EAC Passport. The Sectoral Council at its 18th Meeting
adopted the Minimum technical Specifications of the Passport and directed the
EAC Secretariat to design a computer generated graphic New Generation East African Passport using the
adopted minimum technical specifications
and circulate the same to Partner States for comments. The Sectoral
Council further directed the Secretariat to convene a multisectoral meeting of
experts to develop the roadmap on the internationalization of the new
generation East African Passport.
Madam
Speaker,
The Secretariat has already
designed the new Generation East African Passport and has circulated it to the
Partner States. Currently there is no agreed upon Roadmap by the Partner States
on this process, as the meeting of experts to develop the Roadmap is yet to convene.
The development of the Roadmap is expected to involve stakeholders and experts
from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Internal Affairs and Security
in order to give the process a broader perspective.
However the process has a lot of budgetary
implications for the Partner States when it comes to the launch, production and
issuance of the document. It implies migrating from the current passport
issuance machines and upgrade of technology or acquisition of completely new
software and personalization machines. The Council will therefore need to
direct Partner states to factor in their budgets, funds for rolling out the new
generation East African Passport. This will include procurement of the
Software, the personalization Machines, printers and booklets. There will be
further need to build the capacity of few passport issuing officers on the
usage of the new machines from each Partner State.
Madam
Speaker,
I wish to further inform this
august House that the process of countries being lined up to pioneer the
acceptance of the EAC Passport is not necessary. This is because, once Partner
States have printed the passports booklets and have commenced issuance to
nationals, the passport Issuing Authorities will be obligated to inform the
international Community of States, through their missions abroad, on the coming
into use of the new Generation East African Passport and also provide detailed
information on the security features of the passport and provide at least a
specimen copy to all foreign nations. They shall also be obligated to provide a
phase out program for the old generation national passports.
The Council will be expected
to adopt a programme to popularize the acquisition and usage of the New
Generation East African Passport which will be implemented through the
Ministries responsible for EAC Affairs, Immigration and Foreign Affairs at each
Partner State level. Partner States will be urged to educate citizens on the
importance of using the new Generation East African passport and further be
encouraged as much as possible to acquire the East African Passport in the
spirit of the East African Community integration.
The current East African
passport is still being issued by Immigration Departments in Kenya, Uganda and
Tanzania. The Republics of Rwanda and Burundi after signing the accession
Treaties in June 2007, found the process of reviewing and upgrading the current
passport in terms of enhanced Security features and to conform with the
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended standards for
international travel documents ongoing. Therefore the citizens from the two
Republics are utilizing the Lasser Passe travel document in the region.
The agreed upon cost of an
East African passport is US$ 10.00 converted to the equivalent in local
Currency.
The current number of issued passports by each Partner
State is not available but will be provided to the next session of the Assembly
after the next meeting of the Chiefs of Immigration scheduled to take place
before end of this year. The procedures and requirements to obtain an East
African Passport by the citizens of each Partner State are the same as those
for acquiring a National Passport currently in force.
3.0
QUESTION: EALA/PQ/OA/3/25/2013(By
Hon. Shy-Rose Bhanji)
The
EAC and the United States are currently engaged in trade negotiations and
opportunities for trade amongst themselves. Discussions have also been held at
the highest level involving the Secretary General of the EAC and
representatives from the US government led by Amb. Froman.
Could
the Chair of Council confirm this development and highlight the areas of
focus?
Madam
Speaker,
I
wish to inform this august House that in June 2012, the East African Community
and the United States resolved to upscale their Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement into (TIFA) a Trade and
Investment Partnership (TIP) that includes the following:-
a)
A regional investment treaty;
b)
A trade facilitation agreement;
c)
Continued trade capacity building assistance; and
d)
A commercial
dialogue between the EAC and U.S. private sectors.
Both
Parties agreed that the TIP could also serve as a building block towards a more
comprehensive trade agreement over the long term.
The
East African Community deems the TIP to be important for the region for the
following objectives:-
a)
Strengthening regional integration in the EAC;
b)
Contributing to promoting value addition and
addressing production, supply and trading capacity in the EAC region;
c)
Creating a conducive investment climate in the EAC
region;
d)
Attracting targeted foreign direct investment from the
U.S. that contributes to income generation, employment and transfer of
appropriate technology in the region;
e)
Increasing intra-regional and international trade;
f)
Enhancing competitiveness in trade;
g)
Enhancing reliable and flexible market access;
h)
Facilitating infrastructural investment within the
region;
i)
Enhancing industrialization investment; and
j)
Creating a forum for EAC and U.S. private sector
interaction.
Madam Speaker,
Exploratory
discussions and information sharing were undertaken between the EAC and the
U.S. in July 2012, September 2012 and April 2013 at the technical and senior official’s
level. Two ministerial meetings were also held on 19th October 2012
and 11th August 2013 which assessed the progress made and agreed on
the next steps on the TIP.
The
following has been achieved to date:-
a)
A Letter of Intent establishing the EAC-U.S. Commercial
Dialogue was signed by both Parties on 19th October 2013. The Letter of Intent provides
the principles and objectives that will guide the Parties’ cooperation in the
Commercial Dialogue;
b)
On
30th November 2012, the Commercial Dialogue was launched with a
breakfast meeting which included the EAC SG, Ag. U.S. Secretary of Commerce,
EABC, EAC and U.S. private sector operators, and a ceremonial signing of the
Letter of Intent during the EAC Summit.
c)
Agreement
on the Terms of Reference for the Commercial Dialogue which establishes
modalities and priority topics for dialogue between the EAC and U.S. private
sectors as well as the public-private sector dialogue.
The
following are the agreed priority topics for the Commercial Dialogue which will
be reviewed every three years or earlier upon the request of either Party:-
(i)
Trade-related
infrastructure;
(ii)
Agro
processing/Agribusiness;
(iii)
Market
access;
(iv)
Services
sectors, including Financial Services, Business Process Outsourcing, Tourism
and Information communications technology (ICT);
(v)
Energy;
(vi)
Trade
Facilitation; and
(vii)
Trade
Capacity Building covering Standards harmonization, Protection and Enforcement
of Intellectual Property Rights and Entrepreneurship Development.
d)
The
first public-private sector EAC–U.S. Commercial Dialogue was held during the
EAC – U.S. Ministerial Meeting on 11th August 2013 (on the sidelines
of the AGOA Forum in Adis - Ababa).
e)
Discussions have been held on the U.S. Model Bilateral
Investment Treaty. The Parties reiterated that they are still in exploratory
discussions, which will determine whether or not to launch the negotiations on
the regional investment treaty.
f)
Discussions have also been held on the proposed Trade
Facilitation Agreement and on Trade Capacity Building assistance.
g)
A
study is currently being undertaken to develop a regional framework for EAC’s
engagement in trade and investment negotiations with third Parties (U.S.,
China, India, Turkey and Brazil) which will provide inputs to EAC’s positions
on the Regional Investment Treaty once the discussions are formalized.
Madam
Speaker,
During
the EAC-U.S. Ministerial Meeting on 11th August 2013, both Parties
agreed to launch formal negotiations on a Trade Facilitation Agreement. They
also added a fifth component to the TIP focused on sanitary and phyto-sanitary
measures and technical barriers to trade.
4.0
QUESTION: EALA/PQ/OA/3/26/2013(By
Hon. Shy-Rose Bhanji)
One
way of popularising / educating the citizens of East African on EAC integration
is through the Mass Media, that is: live coverage in all Partner States and
broad coverage in print and social media. All these strategies cost money. Now
that we have our own equipment to connect with other TV Stations to televise
live, will the Council avail funds to enable National and Private TV Stations
to televise the Assembly’s proceedings?
Can
the Chair of the Council also agree that there is a need to raise funds to
facilitate the media to come to Arusha to do the coverage of the proceedings?
Madam Speaker,
Let me first of all thank the Honourable Member for asking the
question and indeed confirm that one of the effective ways of reaching out to
the citizens of East Africa is through the mass media. Live broadcasts of EALA proceedings will
enhance its profile and leverage the image of the organization while
influencing and educating the public about their duties and functions.
I wish to inform the House that the initiative to set up a Mobile
Broadcasting Unit for the Assembly was mooted by the 2nd Assembly to
enhance its visibility. The original
idea was to transmit EALA Sessions and activities, carry out outside
broadcasting and enable access to Free on Air Broadcasting thus enabling
interested TV stations to pick up the signal. It was anticipated that providing
feeds to media houses would also enhance relations with the media as part of
the commitment to good governance, openness and accountability.
The Assembly reached out to Development Partners to assist in the
initial set-up of the Unit which was then estimated to cost up to USD 600,000.
The African Capacity Building Foundation agreed to support the initial phase of
the project to the tune of USD 159,995.
Following a directive of the House Business Commission to source
for broadcast equipment, a tender for the supply, installation and
commissioning of the equipment was issued by EALA/EAC appearing in the regional
papers and on the website in September 2011. Two bids
were received and after evaluation, Adwest Communications Ltd won the tender to
supply the equipment.
Adwest Communications ltd supplied the
equipment which
was received by the Secretariat on December 4, 2012. The process was delayed due to the lengthy
nature of procurement at the EAC and the corresponding delays and bureaucracies
in clearing the consignment with the Revenue authorities.
I wish to report that EALA has in its
custody the following equipment:
-
Satellite dish,
-
Transmitters,
-
Uplink amplifiers,
-
Audio and Visual mixers,
-
cameras,
-
a back-up generator and
-
Mobile trunk cabinets.
The equipment however only enables EALA to
undertake in-house production of video (short documentaries) but it is not
sufficient for live broadcasting.
There are still some outstanding
equipments necessary for the full commissioning of the broadcasting unit which
include:
- the acquisition of the Satellite Space (Air frequency),
- Broadcasting studio screens,
- sub-title creator machines,
- convertors that enable
relay from analog to the digital television and
- The Outside Broadcasting (OB) Van.
Should EALA be able to purchase the said key equipment, then it
shall be able to fully commission the unit and commence work.
I am informed that the EALA Commission is considering the same and
expects to engage a Consultant
Hon Members having said that, I wish to add that this is a
long-term investment for the Assembly and the EAC in general. Due to constraints in funding, the best
approach to realizing the objective is by phasing it in stages as is already
been done.
The EAC will carry out the
following activities once we are ready to roll out:
a)
Market the fact that the Assembly/EAC
is now free on Air TV Broadcasting to enable anyone with a decoder to hook in
and view.
b)
Interest the Television Stations to
pick the signal during the plenary and air the same to the public.
Once
the Assembly is done with the equipment, the matter of trained personnel to
handle the unit shall be a priority. The staff compliment required may include:
Camera Operators as well as a Transmission/Satellite Technician.
On the question of funding for the television stations to
televise the proceedings of EALA, the Council shall indeed pursue the matter
with the relevant authorities in each Partner State to budget for the
same.
Broadcasting/televising is an expensive affair although
given the importance of integration; the aspects can be explored and possibly
worked out. At the moment, some of the
Partner States have their arrangements with the national broadcasters – which
today have semi-autonomy to televise the Parliamentary proceedings. The Parliaments are footing the said
costs. Generally, if we can interest the
TV Stations – national and private, then they may offer to consider setting
aside airtime for airing integration.
I am further in agreement
that there is need to raise funds to enable facilitate media to attend the
plenary in Arusha. This again should
involve the partnership with the media stations. One of the modalities through which we could
address both challenges is by taking collaboration with the Media agencies to
the next level. Already the EAC
Secretariat hosts the annual EAC Media Summit bringing together EAC officials
and media chief executives to discuss pertinent issues around integration. The matter should also be explored at the
symposia.
5.0
QUESTION
: EALA/PQ/OA/3/28/2013 (By Hon.
Shy-Rose Bhanji)
Partner States have entered into bilateral or
tri-lateral agreements in some of the areas of the EAC integration e.g
bilateral agreement between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda on tax harmonisation
policies development of a Railway line between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda;
development of an oil pipeline between Uganda and Kenya etc.
Could the Chair of Council inform this August
House if these agreements are in conformity pipelines with the Treaty for the
establishment of the EAC? Are there any
other agreement signed in addition to the above and if so, what do they provide
for.
Madam
Speaker,
The Treaty for the Establishment of the East
African Community, the implementation of which takes cognizance of the
principles of variable geometry and complementarity, does not prescribe the
conclusion of bilateral agreements. In principle some of these agreements are
concluded as part of the implementation of the integration agenda.
According to the joint communiqués issued, the
issue of Tax harmonization was not a subject of discussion during the
trilateral talks between
the Republics of Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda held in Entebbe on 26th
June 2013, and at the
2nd Infrastructure Heads of State meeting held on 28th
August, 2013 in Mombasa.
The
only reference to tax during the trilateral talks was in the context of the
single customs territory, where the Partner States committed to “strengthen the single customs territory and
implement all the provisions therein where taxes will be collected at the entry
points like Mombasa, Mpondwe, Oluhura”.
Madam
Speaker,
The
oil pipeline between Uganda and Kenya specifically Kampala and Eldoret is at a
bilateral level. EAC only takes note of progress and is therefore not involved.
There
are no other agreements signed.
