Duty waiver would kill cement industry

The aura of excitement hovering over the East Africa Community as it gears up for a common market next year can only be equated to the feelings of an expectant woman: The over 100 million people in the region are looking forward to increased economic activity.

But tension is also building up. If the past is prologue, then instances that have seen countries within the bloc adopt selfish positions when their individual interests are threatened and ignoring deals under the EAC Protocol, could pose serious threats to the strides that have already been made. A case in point is the division that has been generated by a proposal by Uganda and Rwanda to zero rate cement imports.