Kenya confident EAC will beat October 1 EPAs deadline

The government has expressed optimism that the East African Community (EAC) bloc will sign a joint trade deal that will facilitate market access to the European Union.

This comes as the member states are yet to ratify the economic partnership agreement (EPA) ahead of the October 1 deadline.

Speaking on Citizen Business Centre, Trade and industry cabinet secretary Adan Mohamed said the six-nation EAC bloc was working with the EU to get a suitable date and venue to sign the EPA, adding all member states were on board.

“The way things we have got agreements finalized, negotiated and initiated by all members of the EAC. What needs to be done now is the actual translation into languages of EAC member states,” Mr Mohamed said.

His remarks come even as the Tanzanian government has expressed its unwillingness to sign the EPA with the European Union following the United Kingdom’s decision to exit.

The CS said while the decision has not been made formal, Kenyan officials are working on a backup plan to engage the EU to ensure goods are not locked out.

“As Kenya we are dealing with those potential issues that would arise…..that in the unlikely event that something happens, we don’t run the risk of losing market access,” he said.

The east African community was given two years from the October 2014 agreement to ratify the deal in their respective national parliaments.

The economic partnership agreement gives the region’s products duty-free export access to EU markets. However for the EPAs to be valid, the entire region needed to agree to them, but special concessions would remain in place for least developing countries.