The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, has appealed to East African Community (EAC) partner states to urgently fast-track the harmonization of regional laws and policies.
Rt. Hon. Tayebwa noted that aligning these legal frameworks is essential to realizing the core pillars of the regional integration agenda.
He made the call during the official launch of the EAC Parliamentary Week at the Parliament of Uganda.
The regional legislative event is running under the theme: "Advancing the East African Community agenda through legislative dialogue."
The Deputy Speaker stressed that the immediate elimination of persistent non-tariff barriers must be prioritized to facilitate the smooth, free movement of goods and services across borders.
He also challenged regional lawmakers to shift their focus from high-level bureaucratic discussions to practical outcomes that benefit ordinary citizens.
"As member states, we need to move away from deliberations [boardroom meetings] and go for deliveries," Rt. Hon. Tayebwa stated.
He emphasized the critical need for member states to collectively strengthen parliamentary oversight over government institutions.
He noted that robust oversight is vital to bringing essential public services closer to the population and directly engaging citizens as the true owners of the EAC integration.
