What options are there for Kenya in regard to EPA
Kenya may abandon 10 years of negotiating Economic Partnership Agreement trade deal with the European Union as part of the regional East African Community bloc and go it alone, to avoid having duties of as much as 30 percent slapped on its exports from October. Kenya is the only country among EAC partners which does not enjoy the Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
EPA agreement between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and the EU is on hold after Tanzania’s government said two weeks ago it’s reluctant to sign any deal because of “recent Brexit developments affecting the bloc’s union.” Uganda said last week it also wants to delay signing the deal. The conflict in Burundi, a member of the EAC, also adds to the mix of headaches for Kenya.
Members of the European Parliament attending the recently concluded Unctad meeting in Nairobi gave hope of an extension of the October deadline to sign EPA.
The MPs said since Burundi is on the verge of being sanctioned by the European Union over political instability, Kenya will find it hard to clinch the deal that provides relief from heavy taxes for the country’s exports to Europe.
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