GM Wants Industrialisation Policy Enacted

General Motors East Africa Ltd has urged members of the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) to quickly enact the region’s industrialisation policy.
The law would help partner states focus on ways of attracting investment in the region, says Bill Lay, the General Manager.
"It is disheartening that there is lack of Government policy among partner states in favour of goods manufactured locally," Lay told EALA members in Arusha Tanzania last week. He said a policy is urgently required for partner states, parastatals and publicly funded agencies to give preference to locally manufactured motor vehicles.
There is delay in harmonisation of both Motor Vehicle Assembly regulations and the motor vehicle standards within East Africa with respect to safety standards, emission levels and testing procedures for used vehicles.
He said there was a need for strict enforcement of the 25 per cent Common External Tariff (CET) for finished products to enhance growth of local companies. Lay said GM could assist in reducing the cost of transportation in the East Africa by selling its Isuzu trucks and buses that are manufactured at the Nairobi plant.
He said EAC has been arbitrarily suspending the CET rate for some countries and this has given importers advantage over local manufacturers.