The East African countries have been asked to speed up the study that will enable the bloc develop its own automotive industry in order tolower importation of used cars.
The bloc’s deputy secretary general Christophe Bazivamo said setting up competitive automotive sector was crucial to providing the population and the business community with affordable means of transport.
Due to the high costs, the countries currently import second hand machines from Germany, the United States, Japan, France among other countries, some of over eight years of use, making them not only prone to accidents but also have short life span.
The 16th summit of heads of States on February 20, 2015 had directed the EAC Council of Ministers to conduct a study on the modality for the promotion of motor vehicle assembly in the region to stop importation of used vehicles.
With the study receiving technical and financial support from Japanese government, the team is supposed to present the report to the 17th Summit in February.
“This exercise and the overall study is therefore crucial as it is intended to inform the EAC and potential private sector investors on policy options and modality that should be adopted to drive automotive industry to the next level,” said Mr Bazivamo.
He spoke during a meeting with the deputy head of Japan International Cooperation in Tanzania, Mr Kuniaki Amatsu, who paid a courtesy call on him last week at the EAC headquarters in Arusha.
The EAC official disclosed that the community has also developed a regional industrialisation strategy which outlines a number of sectors to be promoted including iron and steel, metals, agro-processing, petrochemicals, gas and fertiliser.
“It is on the basis of this broad policy framework that the region has made a deliberate decision to promote the development of automotive industry,” said Mr Bavizamo.
“The regional leadership, both summit and council, is keen and aspire for the development of a competitive automotive sector.”
Mr Amatsu, during the visit, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to support EAC integration process, especially in the area of automotive industry development.
Japan is one of the leading producer of cars in the world.
