The first Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Finance and Economic Affairs, held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania.

The Principal Secretary for EAC Affairs, Dr. Caroline W. Karugu, chaired the Coordination Committee during the 1st Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Finance and Economic Affairs, held in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, this past week. 

Convened by the EAC Secretariat, the meeting focused on addressing pressing fiscal measures affecting intra-EAC trade, with the goal of fostering a more harmonized regional economic space. 

As Chair, Dr. Karugu led Partner State delegations through technical deliberations on critical issues including the harmonization of tax regimes, the treatment of EAC originating goods under national tax laws, the status of implementation of EAC fiscal directives, and the mitigation of non-tariff barriers linked to domestic fiscal policies. Following successful consensus on key items, she submitted the Coordination Committee’s report and recommendations to the Chairperson of the Ministerial Session, Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of EAC, ASALs and Regional Development. 

The outcomes of this session reflect a collective commitment to aligning fiscal policies across the region to unlock greater trade efficiency, investment growth, and economic resilience in line with EAC’s regional integration goals.