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{
    "id": 99347,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/99347/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 172,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kingi",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for East African Community",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 27,
        "legal_name": "Amason Jeffah Kingi",
        "slug": "amason-kingi"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Speaker, Sir, the first question was on the issue of security on the border posts, and whether it will be compromised when East Africans will be enjoying the freedom of movement. The security at the border posts will not be compromised in any way because we will still be using our passports. The East African passport is still very much valid for the purpose of free movement. The Commonwealth passport is still very much valid for purposes of movement. The only aspect that was added in the Common Market Protocol is that for member States which are willing to embrace the machine readable identity card, then they can go ahead. However, an arrangement must be agreed to make sure that we do not compromise on the security as we embrace the machine readable identity card. Indeed, I want to confirm to the House that security will not be compromised at the border posts. On the issue of the monetary union viz-a-viz the problems we are seeing in the EU, it is good that, that is happening at the EU at the moment. We are at a position where we can learn where they went wrong. The issue of having a monetary union is not a new thing to East Africa. If you look back, during the time of the collapsed community, when I was a young boy, we used to have the East African Shilling. Therefore, this is not a new creation for the region. We are able to learn about the problems and the hiccups that we had then and come up with a stronger arrangement of a monetary union. The process of having a monetary union has already started. We started engagements last year. This year, we are busy building this pillar. By 2012, we expect to have a protocol establishing a monetary union for East Africa. On the implications of why we are coming together embracing countries with huge budget deficits and whether that will affect Kenya’s economy, the biggest immediate beneficiary of the integration process is Kenya. If you look at the statistics since we launched the Customs Union way back in 2005, you will find that the trade is in favour of Kenya and, therefore, we have everything to gain as a result of walking this journey. On the issue of the taxes, we have already mandated the Secretariat to work out a modality of harmonizing our tax and customs regimes. Therefore, the issue of double taxation of a company that is based in Tanzania coming to invest in Kenya shall not arise. We will have a proper arrangement on how taxation will be done. On the issue of political integration and how far we are, the journey towards a political integration is divided into four steps, with the political federation being the final step. The first step is---"
}