The rationale for the East African Community Common Market is compelling - it has the potential to build economies of scale, accelerate competitiveness, and bring the region closer to achieving its dream of a single investment destination.
The Common Market can expand opportunities for the private sector and uplift the living standards of its citizens in a way that no Partner State can do on its own. Full implementation of the Common Market is a challenging task. It calls for strong implementation by all parties, particularly the Partner States, so as to deliver the rights and freedoms enshrined in the EAC Common Market Protocol.
This requires a robust implementation cycle: including planning, implementation and monitoring of progress. The East African Common Market Scorecard contributes to monitoring the implementation of the Common Market by tracking progress of Partner States in fulfilling their commitments as provided in the Protocol.
The scorecard examines selected commitments made by the Partner States, outlines progress in removing legislative and regulatory restrictions to the Protocol, and recommends reform measures. This scorecard, the first of its kind in EAC, covers capital, services and goods - the key foundations for a functioning Common Market.
We expect that the scorecard will contribute to better compliance of commitments under the Protocol, through fostering peer learning and facilitating adoption of best practice in the EAC region. East Africans look forward to a better - not just larger - market that will achieve global competitiveness. This publication is an important part of that journey and we are pleased to be associated with the East African Common Market Scorecard 2014.
