South Sudan lawmakers begin sensitization meeting on EAC common market protocol

JUBA – South Sudanese lawmakers at the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) kicked off, on Wednesday, a week-long sensitization program on Common Market Protocol to allow for free movement of persons, goods, and services within the region.

The objectives of the sensitization meetings, among others, are to highlight the business community on the overall integration and implementation of the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market.

The Common Market Protocol was adopted in 2009 and entered into force on July 1, 2010, with the aim of boosting the growth of the EAC through the free movement of goods, services, labor, and capital.

Its introduction five years after the first pillar, the Customs Union (2005), required that it combine the region’s economies, create opportunities for the private sector and increase competitiveness.

Thomas Dut, Chairperson of the South Sudan Chapter at East Africa Legislative Assembly said they have highlighted the business community on the achievements, challenges, and what needs to be done for the realization of a fully functional common market.

“We sensitize and highlight them on importance of this pillar, impart and benefits and in return, we expected some response from them on challenges to implementation of this pillar,”

Dut said has an important role to play in strengthening the Common Market in order to boost its business sector.

“We would like to strengthen the business between the member state and in that regard; it has elements to facilitate this process,” he said.

He said South Sudan stands to gain a great deal from this new development which includes free goods, services, labor, and capital within the region.

“We have talked of free movement of goods and persons. Free movement of labor, and capital, and when I talked of capital, I mean resources or money across member states,” he said.

Lado Lukak Legge, Deputy Chairperson of the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce said Kenyan and Uganda authorities are overcharging South Sudanese traders.

“They (Ugandan and Kenyan authorities) are overcharging our traders who are bringing goods to South Sudan. We are still facing a lot of challenges despite the fact that we are members of the East African Community,” he said.

“We would like you the lawmakers representing South Sudan East Africa Legislative Assembly to address the challenges that we are facing. We are not exporting anything outside our country, we are only importing food commodities from East Africa and they are the ones benefiting,” he added.