Many of Eala members from the six partner states wanted Section 7 (2) of the draft made during the ministerial committee meeting to be reinstated.

In the ministerial committee through the section in question ministers proposed that the director position for the new regional body should be filled by people who hold a master’s degree in statistics with ten years of experience.

However, after going through the recommendations, CTI proposed that the head of statistic bureaus from the partner states should automatically hold the positions. It was sent back for amendment and will be debated in the next session scheduled for November. “The Bill drew stiff debate in the house as most of the members opposed the proposals made by the CTI,” Dr Abdullah Makame, from Tanzania told The Citizen over the phone.

Reports indicate that Tanzanian Eala members wrote a letter to the Clerk of the regional Assembly on Monday to request for reinstatement of the earlier provision of Clause 7 (2) of the said bill.

In effect, Tanzanian member, supported by those from other member states rejected the amendments. Thirteen lawmakers from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan supported the adjournment of the debate of the crucial legislative document.

However, Paul Musamali from Uganda opposed the Motion on adjournment of the Bill as announced by Burundi minister for EAC Affairs Ms Isabelle Ndahayo. The EAC Statistics Bill, 2017 seeks to establish the Statistics Bureau as an institution of the Community as per the EA Monetary Union protocol. It provides for the functions, powers, governance and its funding with a view to establishing an institution responsible for the statistics in a bid to support the protocol signed in 2013.

Eala, the legislative organ of the EAC, has been meeting in Arusha, the headquarters of the Community since September 16th with the Statistics Bill top on its agenda. The debate on adjournment was preceded by a report of the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment on the proposed bill.

Another bill which was to be debated during the three week sitting was the EAC Customs Management (Amendment Bill,) (No.2) of 2017.

The House anticipated to amend section 24 of the Act which was passed in December 2004 and enforced in January the following year to herald the coming into force of the EAC Customs Union protocol.

However, just like the Statistics Bill it was not debated and instead deferred to another date.

Source The Citizen