Regional business council want cross-border labour
Feb 09, 2004
ELLY Manjalla, the East African Business Council (EABC) executive director, has criticised the three East African governments for delaying to implement the resolution on the free movement of labour.
By David Muwanga
in Mombasa
ELLY Manjalla, the East African Business Council (EABC) executive director, has criticised the three East African governments for delaying to implement the resolution on the free movement of labour.
He said last week that some years back, the East African Community (EAC) council of ministers passed a resolution to this effect.
“The resolution was passed, but border crossings are still very prohibitive, whereas according to the resolution they are supposed to be open 24 hours a day and seven days a week,†he said in an interview at the EABC consultative meeting held Whitesands Hotel.
“Its a question of the ministries concerned to implement this by ensuring that borders are open to serve both the business community and other travelling passengers like tourists who are one our major sources of revenue,†he said.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi (left), the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) executive director, has asked for the introduction of an East African Visa.
She said the region has started getting investors whose projects extend beyond one country while the people implementing it will always be subjected to seeking visas from the various countries they travel to.
“For example in Uganda, we have got a project of an Egyptian investor in construction of floating hotels that will be landing at Uganda's landing sites, Kisumu in Kenya and Mwanza in Tanzania. It is very advantageous for the people involved in implementing the project and the clients who will be using the services to have one visa for the region,†she said last Friday.
Manjalla said the situation has been worsened by the negative attitude of the relevant police and the customs officers towards business people from within the East African countries who they think are always smuggling.
He said residents of the three countries are treated as foreigners whenever they visit either of their two neighbours.
in Mombasa
ELLY Manjalla, the East African Business Council (EABC) executive director, has criticised the three East African governments for delaying to implement the resolution on the free movement of labour.
He said last week that some years back, the East African Community (EAC) council of ministers passed a resolution to this effect.
“The resolution was passed, but border crossings are still very prohibitive, whereas according to the resolution they are supposed to be open 24 hours a day and seven days a week,†he said in an interview at the EABC consultative meeting held Whitesands Hotel.
“Its a question of the ministries concerned to implement this by ensuring that borders are open to serve both the business community and other travelling passengers like tourists who are one our major sources of revenue,†he said.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi (left), the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) executive director, has asked for the introduction of an East African Visa.
She said the region has started getting investors whose projects extend beyond one country while the people implementing it will always be subjected to seeking visas from the various countries they travel to.
“For example in Uganda, we have got a project of an Egyptian investor in construction of floating hotels that will be landing at Uganda's landing sites, Kisumu in Kenya and Mwanza in Tanzania. It is very advantageous for the people involved in implementing the project and the clients who will be using the services to have one visa for the region,†she said last Friday.
Manjalla said the situation has been worsened by the negative attitude of the relevant police and the customs officers towards business people from within the East African countries who they think are always smuggling.
He said residents of the three countries are treated as foreigners whenever they visit either of their two neighbours.