The East African Community (EAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening public-private partnerships as part of efforts to drive economic transformation and expand intra-regional trade.
Addressing business leaders and policy-makers at the East African Business Council Chief Executive Officers Roundtable in Dar es Salaam, EAC Secretary General Ambassador Stephen Mbundi pointed out that the private sector remains central to unlocking the bloc’s economic potential.
While the EAC has grown into a regional market of more than 331 million people with a combined Gross Domestic Product of approximately $357 billion, intra-regional trade continues to trail well below its capacity. EAC trade figures for 2025 show that out of a total trade volume of $156.7 billion, intra-EAC trade accounted for only $19.7 billion.
Mbundi attributed the shortfall to persistent non-tariff barriers, regulatory inconsistencies, infrastructure bottlenecks, and limited access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The regional bloc has set a target to increase intra-regional trade to 50% by 2030, a goal Mbundi noted can only be reached through active collaboration between governments, regional bodies, and the private sector.
–ChannelAfrica/EAC–
