By Business Insider Reporter
The East African Business Council (EABC) has launched an ambitious Regional Policy Advocacy Agenda on Trade in Services for 2025–2027, aiming to unlock the full potential of East Africa’s rapidly growing services sector.
As the region intensifies efforts toward economic integration and competitiveness, the services sector – ranging from finance, ICT and tourism to professional and transport services – has become a crucial engine of growth.
Services now account for approximately 46% of GDP across East African Community (EAC) Partner States and over 30% of formal employment. Despite this, the sector remains constrained by regulatory fragmentation, limited market access, and barriers to the movement of skilled professionals.
To address these challenges, the EABC’s new advocacy blueprint lays out both cross-cutting and sector-specific priorities.
The Agenda calls for improved data collection and market intelligence, harmonised regulations, removal of investment and taxation barriers, and enhanced public-private dialogue.
“Trade in services is no longer a fringe element – it is central to how East Africa will compete and grow. This Advocacy Agenda is not just a document. It is a strategic call to action for governments, private sector actors, and regional institutions,” said Adrian Njau, Acting Executive Director of EABC.
A significant focus is on the movement of people. Under the revised commitments of the EAC Common Market Protocol, Partner States agreed to liberalise the temporary movement of service suppliers—such as engineers, consultants, and trainers—across borders. However, bureaucratic bottlenecks and non-recognition of professional qualifications continue to hamper progress.
In December 2024, five EAC countries signed Annex VII on Mutual Recognition of Academic and Professional Qualifications, a move expected to remove many of these barriers.
Yet implementation remains a challenge, as national-level ratifications and legal alignments lag behind.
The Agenda also calls for eliminating double taxation on services, streamlining work permits, and fast-tracking digital integration, including the One Network Area for mobile and data services.
It highlights opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), where EAC countries have already made significant commitments in business, communication, financial, tourism, and transport services.
Additionally, the EABC advocates for inclusive policies to support women and youth in the services sector, and for integrating informal service providers – who make up more than 60% of the services economy – into formal trade systems.
“SMEs, women-led businesses, and digital entrepreneurs stand to benefit immensely if we get this right,” said John Lual Akol Akol, Chairperson of EABC. “We need harmonised policies, regional standards, and a commitment to action,” he added.
With this Agenda, the EABC positions the services sector at the forefront of East Africa’s integration journey. Its success now hinges on collaborative implementation, political will, and continuous engagement between the private sector and policymakers.
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