East African Common Market

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31653, 13 April 1968, Page 5

East African Common Market

(Specially written tor "The Preet" by

KENNETH ANTHONY)

While the European Common Market’s trials and tribulations continue to attract the world’s headlines—and General de Gaulle repeats his firm “Non” to Britain's application to join—another Common Market has been quietly established with far less fuss and publicity in quite a different part of the world. In view of events in Europe, it is perhaps ironic that the new East African Community formed by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania should be a legacy of British rule. It is also in happy contrast to the separatist tendencies which have developed in other parts of Africa. And while stamps have reflected recent history elsewhere in that continent—notably in the stamps issued by the breakaway province of Katanga in the Congo between 1960 and 1963—it is fitting that another stamp,

the issue illustrated here, should indicate the brighter side of the picture. Co-operation among the three East African countries goes back to the 19305, when under the British regime a joint East African postal administration was set up. From 1935 they shared the same stamp issues—an interesting example of stamps forecasting the future instead of recalling the past. Since independence, this cooperation has steadily extended until there are now a joint railway system, a joint airline, a joint university and even a joint bank for development projects. A natural sequel to all this is the common market which is an integral part of the East African Community. The treaty establishing it was signed by the presidents of the three countries in June, 1967, and it came into operation in the following December, suitably commemorated by a joint stamp. A feature of the Community is the East African Assembly, with powers to legislate for the whole of East Africa in a number of important fields. The three presidents themselves form the chief executive, assisted by three East African ministers and five ministerial councils. Postal and telecommunications matters are the responsibility of a public corporation, charged with maintaining unified services on a sound commerical basis throughout the three countries, an interesting development as Great Britain is contemplating a similar change in Post Office operation.