East African Community sectoral council on trade, industry and investment is meeting in Arusha to deliberate on implementing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the EAC, the deal which remain unsigned since 2016. 

EPA has been postponed for several reason including some member state not having ratified the document. But a media communique released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, detailed that the experts were meeting to discuss among other things the EPA deal.

They are meeting to discuss implementation of previous decisions, a report from the EAC council of Finance Ministers, recommendations, report from the finance ministers, and reports from special committees on customs and trade sectors, the communique said.

“Other issues being discussed are the implementation of the decision on the EAC-EU EPA, East African standards committee report, competition issues, investment industry committee report and other businesses,” it read in parts.

Experts from the cabinet ministries were also scheduled to meet Monday through Mey 26. It is expected after the experts; a team of permanent secretaries will hold a meeting before the cabinet scheduled for later this week.

Tanzania and Kenya are set to meet from Wednesday to deliberate on way forward to resolving trade challenges. The decision is a follow-up to President Samia Suluhu Hassan last meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and her address on a business forum.

Partcipants in the meeting includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and host Tanzania.