The Minister of East African Community Affairs Hon Rebecca Kadaga has said the admission of DR Congo into the East African Community (EAC) has a range of benefits and implications.
“The EAC will have a combined population of over 300m people that provides an expanded market with opportunities to produce and sell goods and services,” she told Parliament during Thursday plenary.
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament Hon Mathias Mpuuga cited a need to sensitize people on these opportunities on all sides of the borders.
“…so that we do not end up with challenges that we have seen where some people in South Africa look at their black brothers and sisters as endangering their own survival,” he noted.
Hon Atima Jackson, speaking during the same plenary session, said Congo comes with a huge potential [in terms of trade] and “it is our mandate to tap on these opportunities very well”.
Hon Agnes Ameede wondered: “We are all excited about the new market of DRC, but what are we taking to DRC?”
She said they are talking about products only, but DRC being a French-speaking country, there could be a market for English teachers.
“Will somebody take a lead to negotiate this deal that can Uganda export English teachers to Congo?” she wondered.
According to Hon Godfrey Onzima, recently, some borders were closed and these are borders of [EAC] member states.
“So, when we bring countries together as a body, it must be a meaningful interaction on all grounds. It will be very absurd to have members and at the end of the day there are restrictions.”
“We had border with Rwanda closed yet we are in the EAC and have a very close working relationship,” pointed out Hon Solomon Silwany.
He added: “What plans do we have with the new admission of Congo to EAC to avoid such happenings?”