DAR ES SALAAM, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The East African Business Council (EABC) urged member states of the regional bloc to adopt a regional track-and-trace system to combat illicit trade.
John Bosco Kalisa, the executive director of the EABC, the apex body of business associations of the private sector and corporates from the eight member states of the East African Community (EAC), said the adoption of the system would help streamline cross-border trade, improve health and boost revenue collection by the EAC governments.
Kalisa made the call during a regional workshop on track-and-trace systems in the framework of the EAC held in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.
Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Industries and Trade Exaud Kigahe praised the EABC and EAC for organizing discussions on solutions to combat illicit trade, saying the workshop came at the right time, as countries worldwide implement measures like tracking and tracing systems to address illegal trade.
Member states of the EAC, a regional intergovernmental organization, are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. ■