The decision by Tanzania to cut work permit fees for residents of East African Community member states is laudable.
Though Dar es Salaam ignored calls to scrap work permit fees totally, the recent move goes to show that engagement can yield fruits.
It slashed the work permit fee for EAC residents from Sh303,000 ($3,000) to Sh51,500 ($1,500) and residence permit fees to Sh50,000 ($500) from Sh202,000 ($2,000).
This followed Tanzanian President John Magufuli’s visit to Kenya last week. The new fees will apply to employees from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan.
As such, more frequent consultations ought to be encouraged so as to make the dream of an East African integration achievable. With EAC members pulling from different sides, the goal of creating a barrier-free trade bloc has continued to evade the citizens.
This single act by Tanzania is, however, not enough. There are still many more barriers that must be surmounted.
When the East African Common Market Protocol was ratified in 2010, the key goal was to provide for free movement of workers in the region.
Though Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have waived the work permit fees, Tanzania and Burundi are yet to ratify the agreement.
We urge all East African leaders to ensure that the dream of a borderless bloc is attained by allowing free movement of people, goods, services and capital.
Source: Business Daily Africa
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.
