Rwanda Receives Consumer Protection Services From The EAC Body.

Posted on : Monday , 1st April 2024

Rwanda is the third country to receive services from the East African Community Competition Authority (EACCA), following Tanzania and Kenya.

In order to this end, a consumer protection agency in Rwanda and the East African Community (EAC) institution have formed a contract.
 

According to an EAC release, "Cooperation in advancing competition policy will be strengthened via the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)."

The Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Agency (Rica) of Rwanda and EACCA signed a contract last week in Kigali.
 

The EAC secretariat claims the MoU will guarantee the two authorities discreetly carry out their designated tasks.

The agreement would encourage teamwork in tackling issues related to consumer protection and competition.said the statement.

Regional integration and cross-border trade inside the union will both benefit from the advancement of competition rules and policies.
 

In order to cooperate and coordinate their efforts with respect to cross-border competition and consumer protection issues, the Memorandum of Understanding lays out the specifics of cooperative projects.

By managing issues of advocacy and competition enforcement, these cooperation frameworks facilitate information sharing between the EAC member states and facilitate the creation of efficient markets within the bloc.stated.

Ms. Mukoronia reaffirmed her dedication to the collaboration in tackling prevalent competition issues within the area.

Promoting a regulatory climate that encourages fair competition, innovation, and community protection of consumer rights is crucial.she stated.

The Director General of Rica, Ms. Beatrice Uwumukiza, emphasised that her organisation is dedicated to collaborating closely with EACCA "to keep developing capacity in competition and consumer protection matters."

In October of last year, the Fair Competition Commission (FCC) of Tanzania and EACCA signed a similar Memorandum of Understanding here.

Ms. Mukoronia emphasised that the main goal of the authority's outreach to the EAC member nations was to promote trade within the region.

The step will help the regional aim for creating a competitive single market "that works for all citizens of East Africa," she said, praising the FCC for their passion in the agreement.

Together, our two institutions are pledging today to work together to successfully execute the EAC Competition Act of 2006.

The Competition Act, Ms. Mukoronia continued was created, among other things, to shield market players "from anti-competitive business practices."

William Erio, director general of the FCC, stated that the organisation was eager to collaborate with the local competition authorities in order to safeguard consumers.

The two institutions established a working group in accordance with the MoU, and it is their responsibility to carry out the activities that have been prioritised through yearly work plans.

After Kenya, Tanzania was the second nation among the seven EAC members to sign an agreement with the regional competition body.

The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAR) and the Arusha-based EACCA announced their first technical agreement in May of last year.
 

The agreement outlined the procedures that the agencies will use to lessen cross-border competition violations.

Additionally, the agreement makes information exchange easier, especially when doing cooperative research, market research and studies.

The goal of the agreement with CAK, as well as two additional agreements with Tanzania and Rwanda, is to offer "competitively priced products of good quality" to customers in the EAC partner states.
 

The establishment of the EACCA was motivated by the member states' resolve to working together on trade liberalisation and development, including competitive problems.

As per the agreement, member states committed to forbidding any conduct that could potentially hinder free trade, such as agreements that could limit or stifle unjust competition among themselves in the East Asia Community (EAC).