NAIROBI, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) — East African leaders ended their day-long summit in Nairobi on Saturday evening with a raft of measures intended to fast-track regional infrastructure projects. The presidents from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda resolved to send a team of ministers and technical experts to China to sign the final set financing agreements of the standard gauge railway project (SGR).
In a joint communique, the leaders noted progress in the SGR development in the finalization of bankable proposals for some sections and directed relevant ministries to undertake a joint visit to the Export-Import Bank of China to conclude financing agreements. The standard gauge railway is being constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
China has agreed to fund the first phase of a standard gauge railway line linking the East African nation’s port city of Mombasa to Uganda, Burundi and South Sudan. The leaders agreed to continue discussing crude oil pipeline development at bilateral level, with guidance from experts on the best available options.
The summit reiterated the need for finance ministers to explore alternative financing options including Public-Private-Partnerships on refined petroleum products pipeline development to raise funds for development of this project.
On ICT Infrastructure Development, the regional leaders directed regulators to ensure that telecoms fully comply with requirements on One Network Area (ONA) for SMS and data, as well as operationalize mobile financial services.
Kenya’s foreign affairs and international trade cabinet secretary Amina Mohamed, who read the communique, said the summit has also directed Lands ministers in respective members states to enact legislations to fast track land acquisition for the infrastructure corridor.
“The summit welcomed proposals from the ministers on the need to employ alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in land dispute settlement and acquisition,” said Mohamed. The East African leaders noted the urgency to amend existing laws to fast track land acquisition for the infrastructure corridor.
“In addition, ministers responsible for implementing infrastructure projects together with Ministers of Finance are to prioritize the use of funds allocated for implementing infrastructure projects including land acquisition,” she added. The northern corridor projects are designed to enable development of a seamless railway network from Mombasa to Kigali and Juba.
During the summit, Uganda updated the summit on the progress made on the incorporation of the National Oil Refining Company. Other than Kenya, Partner States to communicate their participation in the project by the next Summit. Mohamed said the leader also agreed to continue the discussion on the regional political federation at the EAC level during the November EAC Summit.
East African Heads of States have approved the uniform customs regime to ease cross border movement of goods and services. The regional countries in 2012 commenced the process of establishing a single customs territory as a means to boost cross border trade, revenue collection and ease of doing business.
The EAC is targeting the creation of a political federation, a borderless single state made up of the five countries, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, led by a single president and exercising a single foreign policy.
To get the vision of a single state in motion, the Arusha-based EAC Secretariat has been working towards a foreign policy, a common defence policy, a customs union, which is currently in place and the Monetary Union, which aims at a single currency.
The presidents noted the growing interest demonstrated by Private Sector players and reaffirmed their readiness to continue nurturing the collaboration between public and private sector. They observed that the established partnership will greatly enhance the realization of collective vision and goals of transforming the regional economy.
The Summit welcomed the support of the private sector and their engagement in identifying appropriate projects, their models of investment and financing mechanisms. Mohamed said the leaders directed the ministers to engage the airline industry with a view to enhancing competition and reducing the cost of air travel in the region.
“Specific attention was to be given to the Juba-Nairobi-Juba and Entebbe-Nairobi-Entebbe routes. The Summit further noted that after the directive a temporary reduction in air ticket costs for one destination was realized but has since been reversed with the fares sky-rocketting,” she said.
The Summit congratulated Ethiopia for the great strides achieved in implementing infrastructure projects, particularly power generation and interconnectivity and the light rail which has been commissioned recently. The Democratic Republic of Congo announced the decision to join the Northern Corridor Integration Projects as full member during the next Summit.
Source: Xinhua News Agency

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