East Africa Business Summit & Expo 2012

The East African Community is deepening and widening cooperation among its 5member states: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Spurred by the need to expand markets, boost competitiveness and attract investment, East African economies have continued to take steps to make it easier for firms to start up and operate. Continuous improvement of the business environment is important for countries seeking to benefit from increased trade and investment through regional integration. Opportunities are expanding in the East African Community, which has achieved strong growth in the past 2 decades.

Since 2005 its member states have grown faster on average than the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, with annual per capita growth averaging close to 4 percent. Yet significant differences remain among East African economies. Deeper regional integration could help achieve economies of scale and allow the East African Community to compete more efficiently in the global economy. Properly implemented, a larger single market could turn around the systematic under investment in the East African Community and expand its economy.