Uganda’s Minister of State for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, has stepped up calls for East African Community (EAC) member states to finally remove long standing non-tariff barriers, saying the region cannot talk about integration while traders still face obstacles at every border point.
Speaking during Uganda Day at the 25th EAC MSME Trade Fair in Nairobi, Mbadi said the bloc is holding back its own growth, with intra-EAC trade stuck at about 20%, far behind other economic communities.
“We cannot dream of benefiting from the African Continental Free Trade Area when we have not fixed trade among ourselves,” he said, warning that delays, repeated inspections and inconsistent national regulations continue to choke business across the region.
According to Mbadi, the EAC Treaty already provides a clear roadmap for integration including free movement of goods, services, people, labour and capital but implementation has lagged, leaving MSMEs struggling to move products across borders smoothly.
EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva said the success of the region’s value chains depends on a predictable and supportive business environment.
She urged partner states to strengthen each other, clear the barriers and make intra-regional trade work,” noting that small businesses form the backbone of the bloc’s economic activity.
This year’s fair brought together more than 3,000 exhibitors from the eight EAC states, with Uganda fielding 305 MSMEs showcasing innovations in agriculture, dairy, textiles, leather, crafts and processed foods.
Mbadi said such success stories are a glimpse of the region’s potential if partner states dismantle non-tariff barriers and allow businesses to trade freely.
He noted that removing the obstacles would not only raise regional trade volumes but also deepen East Africa’s competitiveness at continental and global levels.