…the Sitting is a first for the regional Assembly in the designate capital
East African Legislative Assembly, Dodoma, 9th April, 2018: The East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) has commenced its sitting in Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania. The Sitting which is the fourth meeting of the first Session of the fourth Assembly takes place from today (April 9th 2018) and runs through to 28th of April 2018. This is the first time the regional Assembly which embraces a rotational principle in holding its meetings in the Partner States, is sitting in Dodoma.
The Assembly is to be presided over by Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga K. Martin. H.E. President Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli is expected to address the Assembly at a Special Sitting at a date to be communicated next week.
The Assembly shall also deliberate on a number of key issues over the three-week period. Bills and resolutions are expected to be brought before Plenary. A number of Committee undertakings are also expected – particularly on scrutiny of Bills in preparation for the forthcoming public hearings. Currently, there are two key Bills that are pertinent to the Monetary Union Protocol. These are the EAC Monetary Institute Bill, 2017 and the EAC Statistics Bureau Bill, 2017, both of which were introduced by the Chair of the Council of Ministers, Rt Hon Dr Ali Kirunda Kivenjija at the 2nd Meeting of the 1st Session held in Kampala, Uganda, in January 2018 and sailed through the First Reading.
The object of the EAC Monetary Institute Bill, 2017, is to provide for the establishment of the East African Monetary Institute as an institution of the Community responsible for preparatory work for the EAC Monetary Union. In accordance with Article 23 of the Protocol on the EAC Monetary Union, the Bill is expected to provide for the functions, governance and funding for the Institute as well as other related matters.
Closely related to the EAMI Bill is the EAC Statistics Bureau Bill, 2017, which also seeks to establish the Statistics Bureau as an Institution of the Community under Article 9 of the Treaty and Article 21 of the Protocol on Establishment of the EAC Monetary Union. The Bill provides for the functions, powers, governance and its funding with a view to establishing an institution responsible for statistics in a bid to support the East African Monetary Union.
The Council of Ministers for EAC is thus expected to meet with the Committees to thrash out key matters on both Bills. The EALA Committee on Communications, Trade and Investment shall at a later date engage with stakeholders on the EAC Statistics Bureau Bill, 2017 while the EAC Monetary Institute Bill, 2017 will be handled by the General Purpose Committee.
Furthermore, the Assembly will also interact with various stakeholders and other citizens in Dodoma in a move anticipated to collect views to effectively undertake its mandate and enhance its representation mandate.
The entire Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is expected to move to the designate capital of Dodoma by 2019. As at the end of 2017, the Prime Ministers Office and several Ministries had already settled in Dodoma.
The decision to relocate the capital was made by the founding President Julius Nyerere in 1973 with the aim of bringing government services closer to the people – given the City’s central location.
-Ends-
For more Information, contact:
Bobi Odiko,
Senior Public Relations Officer;
East African Legislative Assembly;
Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945+254-733-718036;
Email: bodiko@eachq.org
Web: https://www.eala.org,
Arusha, Tanzania
