THE outgoing World Trade Organisation director general Pascal Lamy has rated the East African Community trading block as the most important in the African continent ahead of similar blocks in West and South Africa. He said EAC is three times more integrated than the West and South Africa.

“This region is a clear case that I think deserves a lot of attention…I have no doubt that this (EAC) will be the future,” Lamy said adding that the political goodwill from EAC leaders is the key distinguishing factor between EAC and other African trading blocks.

Lamy also described the African continent as the next growth frontier but added that some key bottlenecks such as not tarriff barriers, poor infrastructure and energy and corruption need to be addressed. The WTO boss cast doubt on the conclusion of crucial trade talks that can open international markets for African goods.

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