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{
    "id": 887407,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/887407/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 297,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nambale, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Sakwa Bunyasi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2511,
        "legal_name": "John Sakwa Bunyasi",
        "slug": "john-sakwa-bunyasi"
    },
    "content": "For example, we in the border counties had significant cross-border trade in services, customs and clearance, trade facilitation and movement of goods. This benefited many of our people in service provision. However, they lost this in the cross-border trade reforms that were put in plac e. The jobs opportunities became minimal in Busia and Malaba. This has caused suffering among the local communities. In any economy, you calculate the benefits and the costs of entering into these trade agreements--- You can talk about the jobs created in Naivasha, Nairobi or Mombasa, but you should also project that there will be job losses in Busia and Malaba cross points. What should they cost? What should the Government do to buttress the efforts of the local people to fill back those openings? When these things are done without consideration but simply because the Government has looked at the overall benefits, it can create a big void in terms of job losses and opportunities, and give rise to crime. As we analyze our benefits and loses, we should look at the risk side. It is only then that it can be a win-win situation for everyone. The day we shall get free movement even within East African Region or COMESA, where one can use his or her ID or passport without any visas sought will be the day we shall say that we are truly moving our region. We are headed there. These agreements are very useful. A couple of years ago, maybe one or two, Continental Africa Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) was signed in Kigali. Kenya was one of the first countries to sign. They were part of the prime movers of that. What surprised me in that particular respect, as I discuss about issues of what the costs might be, even though there maybe benefits as well, we being an agricultural economy, we signed off fairly fast. But, the movement of agricultural goods for example is highly regulated all over the world even where there is free movement because the phytosanitary requirements to the agricultural sector. This sector requires significant support all over the world. When we sign very quickly and then when you look at subsequent policy statements being issued or budget estimates being made, and there is absolutely no mention or concern for the negative impacts on our farms--- This perhaps unwarranted competition that is full of our support services from where it comes from should worry us. If we get free movement of goods that are likely to come from outside the region, but enter this region, the CAFTA or the EAC… Even goods flowing from other countries to this continent whose standards of food hygiene and food quality are different from our own--- It is critical that we get extremely cautious. I recall when President Uhuru sometimes ago said that people were complaining about entry of fish and recently the entry of eggs. I do not even want to say it but look at those goods carefully. Maybe, there are issues about the quality of food, hygiene and so on. That was a huge statement. People did not think through it carefully. We had significant trade which we still do with countries in Europe. These are agricultural products like French beans. If you talk to individual traders, you will find that there are many times when their whole consignment would be rejected because it did not meet the quality standard. When the importers’ cash flow is in question they just condemn your goods as a way to ease pressure on them. There are also competitors who do that to create openings in those markets. So, as we sign our protocols, let us think critically about the categories of movement both of goods and persons. We can use these movements to promote job creation or to export some of our expertise. We have a very dynamic higher education sector both in universities and technical colleges and so on. These people need to go and offer services within and outside our borders. As they do that, they support other countries and they bring back the good things that they have The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}