President Mwai Kibaki on Tuesday urged member states of the East African Community to hasten removal of trade barriers. The president was addressing the fourth sitting of The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

President Kibaki spoke against the existence of trade barriers in the regional economic bloc even after the enactment of the Customs Union and the Common Market Protocols that allows for free movement of goods, manpower and services in the region.

The president said that the barriers were being instituted by people who did not understand the economic dynamics of economic blocs and common markets. Kibaki said the member states need to ensure that policies agreed on by various institutions of the community are clearly communicated across the region. This, he said will guarantee a seamless flow of goods and services across the community.

Kenyan businessmen in the recent past have been required to pay for permits to get their goods into Tanzania at the Namanga border prompting the two countries to start addressing the issue. Businessmen from Kenya have taken advantage of the economic bloc to expand their operations in the region.