EAC TO GO ELECTRONIC

EAC to go electronic

The East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, has granted James Ndahiro leave to introduce a Bill on electronic transactions in the East African Community member states. The Bill is known as the EAC Electronic Transactions Bill, 2014.

The object of this Bill is to make provision for the use, security, facilitation and regulation of electronic communications and transactions, to encourage the use of e-Government service and to provide for related matters. According to Dr. Ndahiro, the Community needs to maximally exploit the great resource of ICTs thus ensuring that businesses and institutions have access to these modern technologies. It is on the basis of such background that the EAC Electronic Transactions Bill, 2014 has been put together in order to meet the need of exploiting electronic transactions in the modern business transactions that have become common. The Bill further wants to promote technology neutrality in applying legislation to electronic communications and transactions; and to develop a safe, secure and effective environment for the consumer, business and the governments of the Partner States to conduct and use electronic transactions. During House debate last month, Nancy Abisai noted that the Bill would promote investments in the region by enabling transactions of business to be realised.

Valerie Nyirabineza termed the Bill timely in the region’s quest to reduce bureaucracies.