The President of Rwanda Paul Kagame has urged the Private sector to step up its role in the integration of the East African community instead of leaving everything to governments.
Speaking at a Business forum organised by Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, the Rwandan President said governments are doing their best and could use support from the private sector , the forum brings together Business movers in the region and preceded the Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit set for today.
On his part, the host Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni lauded Private Sector Role in Regional Progress
“Private Sector creates growth, their role in region has to be given more attention and empowerment Business means profitability, if a business is not profitable it cannot succeed”
As part of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects, the Business Forum aims at highlighting business opportunities in the region for private and public partnerships
The Northern Corridor is the busiest and most important transport route in East and Central Africa, providing a gateway through Kenya to the landlocked economies of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern DR Congo. It also serves Southern Sudan .
It is designed to foster faster integration in the east African community and also work on projects that bring the community together.
During the summit, the heads of state are expected to sign an agreement on the total liberalization of labor and services, according to a brief from the ministry of foreign affairs.
The regional leaders are also scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on cyber security and launch a website (portal) for the northern corridor projects.
The 1st Summit was held in June 2013 and the three Heads of State of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya agreed to meet every two months to review progress made. These meetings are hosted by Partner States on rotational basis.
The decision is supported by articles 1 & 7 of EAC treaty which allows progression in cooperation among groups within the community for wider integration.
Additional Reporting From Inside Report
