30TH MEETING OF THE SECTORAL COUNCIL OF MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR EAC AFFAIRS AND PLANNING UNDERWAY IN ARUSHA

The 30^th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs and Planning(SCMEACP) is currently underway at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The six –day meeting kicked off with the Session of Senior Officials, which will run up to 8^th October, 2019.This will be followed by the Coordination Committee, which consists of the Permanent/Principal Secretaries on 9^th October, 2019, dedicated session of the Ministers to receive the report of the EAC Audit Commission for the FY 2017/18 and the annual report of the EAC Audit and Risk Committee for the FY 2017/18 on 10^th October, 2019; Ministerial session of Ministers of the 29^th and 30^th meetings of the SCMEACP on 11^th October, 2019; and the dedicated session of Ministers to consider the report of the EAC AD HOC Service Commission on Workload analysis and job evaluation on 12^th October, 2019.    

The SCMEACP will, among others, consider the report on implementation of previous decisions of the SCMEACP; a progress on the status of implementation of the EAC Common Market;  status of EAC integration (2000 – 2017); consideration of the global and sector-specific priorities for the FY 2020/21;  terms of reference for the formulation of the 6^th EAC development strategy (2021/22 – 2025/26); the report of the meeting of Chiefs of Immigration and Directors of Labor; and  the status of Partner States’ contributions to the EAC budget.

In addition, the Sectoral Council will consider ;report on political affairs, progress  on COMESA-EAC-SADC tripartite free trade area negotiations; proposal for the establishment of a regional procurement web portal; and the revised concept note on the EAC 20^th anniversary observance.    

  A section of participants during the session of Senior Official.

EAC Director General Customs and Trade, Mr Kenneth Bagamuhunda on the extreme right making his remarks during the Senior Official session. Sitting beside him, from (L-R) Mr Raphael Kanothi, the Rapporteur from Kenya, Chairperson of the senior officials session, Mr Emmanuel Kamugisha from Rwanda and EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sector, Hon Christophe Bazivamo.