TANGAZO
10th June 2015
Email
Print
A Rwanda business leader, Dennis Karera has been appointed the new chairperson of the East African Business Council (EABC), taking over from Felix Mosha from Tanzania.
He will head the regional apex body of private sector associations based in Arusha during 2015/2016. Mosha was the chairperson during the period 2014/2016.
Karera will chair the Executive Committee team of 22 members that provides the strategic direction of the Council which has an observer status with the East
Dennis Karera is a Rwandan business leader operating businesses in the hospitality sector and real estate development and brings to the Business Council a wealth of experience from his past leadership roles. He is also the immediate past vice chairman for EABC in Rwanda.
According to EABC's membership development manager Lilian Awinja, the 16th annual general meeting of the Council held at Hotel Villa Portofino in Kigali last Saturday elected the new boss.
Gracing the occasion, Emmanuel Hategeka, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry in Rwanda, emphasised the need for the private sector to remain the engine of growth within the EAC Integration process.
He lauded the EABC for the good work that has been done in the recent years and congratulated the incoming board of directors, urging them to continue the ongoing initiatives in the EAC Integration process.
In his acceptance speech, Karera reiterated the need to strengthen the EABC Secretariat and work towards the sustainability of the Institution with a view to reducing donor dependence and steering the organisation towards greater heights.
Amongst his commitments for the new board of directors, Karera outlined the need to continue to build EABC's institutional capacity through enhancing the technical and financial capabilities in order to ensure that EABC indeed remained the voice of the private sector in the EAC.
"To this end, the team will seek to develop a resource mobilisation strategy focusing on turning around the financial base of EABC in the next few years", he said.
Karera outlined his resolve to ensure that EABC earns regional recognition as the driver for policy change on East African business issues.
Strong advocacy campaigns will be undertaken for the full implementation of existing EAC protocols namely the EAC Customs Union and Common Market Protocols and effective participation in the ongoing projects under the Northern and Central Corridor.
The full implementation of the EAC Customs Union and other agreed upon commitments are key to the improving of the business environment in the region and furthering intra-EAC trade.
He described EABC as having a widened mandate emanating from the new strategic plan, inclusion in the Northern and Central Corridor Summits, Implementation of the East African Business Summit resolutions among other areas.
Karera will also aggressively pursue the project of building the EABC Headquarters in Kigali. Additionally he will work to strengthen the secretariat and push to secure the Facilitation of EABC staff as promised by the government of Rwanda.
The new team will also seek to engage various partners much more effectively for the mutual benefit of both organisations. The EAC and EABC national focal points remain the key Partners at regional and national levels respectively. Karera reiterated, "We will seek to engage such partners more effectively and also manage our relationship with the development partners in order to ensure sustainability of EABC".
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
TANGAZO
Facebook Blogger Plugin by TeachMaker
Post a Comment