By Damas Makangale, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
TANZANIA is ready to open up its market for the
architects professional from the East Africa region but after other member’s
states reconsidering changes (Amendement) in the Mutual Recognition Agreement
(MRA) document from the Common Market Protocol.
Speaking to the East African Business Week last
week in Dar es Salaam, Registrar of the Architects and Quantity Surveyors
Registration Board, Architect Jehad Jehad said that the professional board of
the architects in Tanzania is read to open up its market for the professionals
architects in the region but with some amendments in the MRA.
“You know look here it is not true that
Tanzania doesn’t want to sign MRA to ratify the Common Market Protocol in the
architect industry to allow free movement of professional in the region but we
want some changes in the document to ensure win to win situation,” he said.
He said that the government and other
professional bodies in collaboration with the East African Business Council
hold a meeting to discuss and raise awareness to stakeholders on the best way
to foster regional integration through architect’s professionals.
The Registrar said that Tanzania will continue
to dilly and dally in signing the MRA until the members states withdrawal the
countries interest and championing the interest of the community.
“We cannot jump into the final conclusion of signing
the document to satisfy the interest of other member states but we want to
assured ourselvers that the request for the amendment in the MRA is taking into
account,”he noted.
He noted that the MRA instructed that after the
country’s professional body sign a document allows architects from members
states to be registered members of the professionals body in Tanzania.
Architect, Jihad said that if the architect
professional body allows that the other members from EAC would swallow them due
to the fact that the number of the architects registered in Tanzania is low to
compare for example in Kenya.
“For instance the registered architects in
Tanzania are 300 only while in Kenya are more than 1,900 so they will going to
swallow smooth and wiped us in the Tanzanian market,” he explained.
He explained further that Tanzania has not yet
sign a MRA document which comes from the Common Market Protocol that allows a
free movement of labour, goods and services in the East African Community
(EAC).
Architect, Jihad said that the goverment and
the professional body are aware the is ongoing public outcry especially from
member states that they are paying high taxes and other fees such as foreigns
while they are members of the EAC.
He said that the few number of the professional
architects in the country with different education backgrounds, criteria of
being a professional architect as well the education syllabus is another
bottleneck for the Tanzania to sign a document.
“We are current discussing with other
Universities such as Dodoma University, Ruaha University and Tumaini to
establish at least a faculty of architectural and quantity surveyors in order
to recruit more students in the field,” he underscored.
Architect, Jihad said that in Tanzania so far
they have a single recognised university college architectural studies, Ardhi
University which is cannot meet the demand of architects in the country.
The EACIA Mutual Recognition Agreement was
negotiated along the annex on Free Movement Services of EAC Common Market Protocol.
The MRA thus will serve to create an avenue through which the East Africa
Community integration process will take effect.
Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs)
With the signing of the Common Market Protocol,
the EAC Partner States committed to working towards free movement of services
and labour in the region. Regulations and the recognition of qualifications
differ between Partner States making it difficult for East African
professionals to register within another Partner State.
Professionals such as engineers, medical
professionals or lawyers have to be assessed through regulatory authorities to
ensure quality. To facilitate the free movement of services and labour, a
mutual recognition of qualifications and certificates needs to be in place
within the EAC.
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