 has this week unveiled a five-year strategic plan 2019-2024 aimed at providing framework for implementing and delivering the mandate and functions of the Assembly.){kind=link}
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has this week unveiled a five-year strategic plan 2019-2024 aimed at providing framework for implementing and delivering the mandate and functions of the Assembly.
“The strategic plan will help the regional assembly to conduct its business smoothly while making sure issues affecting citizens in EAC are at the core center,” said the EALA speaker Martin Ngoga during the virtual launch of the plan.
Mr. Ngoga said that the Strategic Plan will provides policy and development framework for the regional assembly commission with its management to address institutional challenges and to foster regional integration in line with the EAC Vision 2050 and the EAC Development Strategy (2016/17 – 2020/21).
The five year strategic plan takes into account the existing and emerging regional development issues and priorities, while honoring the EAC’s development partnership commitments at the inter-regional, continental and global levels.
The five year EALA Strategic Plan is expected to contribute to accelerating a people centered and market driven integration.
Through the past years EAC member states had faced challenges on implementing the already signed pillars of regional integration which includes Customs Union, Common Market and the Monetary Union.
“We have seen member states still lagging behind in the implementation of the some of the integration pillars but with this strategic plan will makes sure bills passed are assented to,” said Oburu Odinga a member of EALA from Kenya.
Non-tariff Barriers has been one of the major hindrances for the free movement of goods and person within the region despite all the member states having ratified the protocol.
The Strategic Objectives of this Plan will strengthen the structural, organizational and functional capacity of the Assembly to deliver the mandate bestowed upon it by the Treaty.
Currently, the East African Legislative Assembly relies on contributions from Partner States to fund its programs.
“There is need to closely work with the Council of Ministers and the EAC
Secretariat to ensure the finalization of a sustainable financing mechanism for the EAC, and the operationalisation of the EAC Resource Mobilization Strategy in immediate term,” part of the 2019-2024 Strategic Plan reads.
The implementation of the Strategic Plan 2019 – 2024 is estimated to cost $23,062,825.