TZ Yakana Kuchelewesha EAC

Tanzania denies it’s slowing down integration in East Africa.

APA-Kampala (Uganda) Members of the East African Legislative Assembly from Tanzania on Tuesday emphasized that their government wants the fast tracking of the East African political integration.

The members refuted claims that they were hesitant and responsible for the slowdown of the integration process. The Tanzanian East African Community deputy Minister, Mohammed Aboud told the press that his country had only disagreed on issues of regional identity cards and control of land.

He argued that that the issue of land was not agreed upon by his country which preferred that land remains under the control of national laws other than being placed under the common market management.

He said land is a sensitive matter with different states having different land ownership policies, thus it was in the interest of all to leave it out to avoid conflicts. on immigration, Aboud supported for security purposes the status quo of using passports to cross borders rather than introducing identity cards. He reiterated his country’s commitment to the fast tracking of the common market by the year 2011.

The East African legislative assembly is currently meeting in the Uganda capital Kampala beginning on Tuesday.