It says a mechanism has to be worked out on how tariffs would be liberalised without affecting the economies of various trading blocs.

“Tariff liberation has not been easy and there has to be a mechanism to negotiate it,” said Mr Kenneth Bagamuhunda, the EAC director general of Customs and Trade.

He was speaking during a meeting on the role the private sector on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) expected to come into force in July this year.

The trade pact was unveiled by the African Union in Kigali, Rwanda, a year ago and is aimed at boosting intra-African trade currently estimated to be a half of its potential.

He said EAC would negotiate on tariff liberalisation within the continental FTA framework “in a holistic way and as a bloc”.

He added that the East African Business Council has been given a platform to spearhead the negotiations on behalf of the bloc.

Source: The Citizen