1 ya 491 [EAC NEWS] EAC SECRETARY GENERAL, AMB. LIBERAT MFUMUKEKO TAKES OVER COMESA - EAC- SADC TRIPARTIE TASK FORCE CHAIRMANSHIP

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EAC SECRETARY GENERAL, AMB. LIBERAT MFUMUKEKO TAKES OVER COMESA - EAC- SADC TRIPARTIE TASK FORCE CHAIRMANSHIP

Secretary General pledges to work towards the attainment of the Tripartite Free Trade Area by June 2017

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Saturday, 31^th October 2016: The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko today took over the Chairmanship of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force (TTF) over the next year from Dr. Stergomena Tax, the SADC Executive Secretary, who oversaw the work of the Tripartite from July 2015 to October 2016.

Addressing Hon. Members of the Council, Directors and senior officials from the COMESA, EAC and SADC Member States at the hand-over ceremony held over the weekend at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, commended Dr. Stergomena Tax for the exemplary leadership during the period of the Tripartite, especially given the resource constraints which have delayed the launch of Phase II negotiations and the implementation of other important activities.

The Secretary General noted that there were many hurdles to be overcome in meeting the clear priorities the Tripartite Council had set and he prioritized resource mobilization: finalization of studies for phase II negotiations whereby EAC will work closely with COMESA Secretariat on the necessary actions to be taken; Tariff Offer Negotiations to always be on the agenda of the relevant Policy Organs; and lastly Ratification of Tripartite Free Trade Area. He disclosed that EAC has pledged to ratify and deposit instruments of ratification by the end of February 2017 and urged all Member/Partner States to ratify the Agreement before the end of June 2017.

At the hand over ceremony, which was also attended by Dr. Stergomena Tax, the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Kipyego Cheluget, the COMESA Deputy Secretary, and Mr. Peter Kiguta, the EAC Director-General, Customs and Trade, the Secretary General pledged to work towards the attainment of the Tripartite Free Trade Area by June 2017.

The main focus during the SADC Chairmanship (July 2015 to October 2016) was to lead the TTF to facilitate Member/Partner States implement the directives of the 3^rd Tripartite Summit following the launch of the Tripartite Free Trade Area on 10^th June 2015 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, namely: expeditious operationalization of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area; finalization of outstanding issues on the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement in relation to Annex 1 on Elimination of Import Duties, Annex 2 on Trade Remedies and Annex 4 on Rules of Origin and the legal scrubbing of completed Annexes; and ccommencement of Phase II negotiations covering trade in services, cooperation in trade and development, competition policy, intellectual property rights and cross border investments.