Sezibera underscores need for infrastructure development

EAC Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera

By AGENCIES

INFRASTRUCTURE development in the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean region – can be boosted through blending of regional resources with those from international development partners.

At the same time, Africa will achieve deeper integration if individual nations implemented treaties agreed at the regional levels, the East Africa Community (EAC) Secretary General Richard Sezibera has said.

Dr Sezibera, said for regional blocs to have significant impact in the political and socio-economic development, it is critical for countries to domesticate  and honour commitments to regional economic blocs.

“We need to harness available support to assist member states for effective implementation of regional commitments at national levels,” he said. Dr Sezibera was speaking in Nairobi, yesterday, during a two-day consultative meeting of the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean regional organisations under the auspices of the Inter Regional Co-ordinating Committee (IRCC), which he chairs.

Created in 2001, IRCC brings together four African regional organisations including Common Market for East and Southern Africa, EAC, the Inter Governmental Authority on Development and the Indian Ocean Commission alongside the European Union.

The meeting is aimed to take stock of progress on the implementation of the 2009 Lusaka Declaration that among other things sought to increase intra-regional and continental trade.