The East African Community’s (EAC Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment) are still involved in a tug of war over the age limit of imported used motor vehicles four years since its introduction.

According at a statement issued by East African Business Council (EABC) Communications Manager, Dona Sava, a two-day consultative meeting that started on Tuesday took place in Nairobi, Kenya on the age limit issue.

The meeting presided over by the Minister for East African Community and Chairman for the Council of Ministers, Mr Musa Sirma, said that up to now all stakeholders had not agreed on a consensus on harmonization of the standard.

“The variation in controls on age limits poses challenges on harmonization of East African Standard EAS: 500:2008, Code of Practice — Testing of motor vehicles for roadworthiness regimes and technical regulations on road vehicles, standards and procedures for controls of used imported used vehicles and hence jeopardizes our cardinal spirit of regional integration,” he said.

Mr Sirma said that the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment needed to give a solution and come up with recommendations to policy makers on the way forward.The minister went ahead to urge all stakeholders to find a solution out of experience and guide policy makers on the age limit of imported used motor vehicles.

“While transportation is crucial to our economy and our personal lives, as a sector it is also a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “Some of the causes of air pollution from transportation include; excessive use of the vehicles, age of the vehicle and technology used, poor maintenance and unavailability or improper use of appropriate fuels among others,” the representative of the Vice-Chairperson of EABC, Mr Keli Kiilu, said.

The East African Community through the Council of Ministers made a decision (EAC/CM 14/Decision 38 of April 2007) to harmonize the age limit of vehicles imported into the region by April 2009.The East African Standards Committee (EASC) has since been working on the harmonization of the age limits for imported second-hand/used vehicles into the community.

A proposal to adopt a tentative age limit of 10 years from the date of first registration for all the partner states with an exception of Kenya who wishes to retain the age limit of 8 years was presented to the EAC Council of Ministers by the EASC in 2008.

The Council of Ministers deferred the proposal to pave way for further stakeholder engagement.Jointly organized by East African Business Council (EABC) and the EAC, the meeting provided a platform for the stakeholders to engage in a regional consultative meeting with a view to ensuring that the interest of both the public and the private sector are balanced.

 

 

Source: http://allafrica.com