By Charles Lotara, SSMJ Arusha, Friday (October 11, 2024) – The Engineering Council of South Sudan has signed the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for Engineers in a significant step to advance cross-border knowledge transfer within the East African region. The MRA aims to streamline recognition of the professional qualifications of engineers in the region, thereby paving the way for their cross-border mobility. The accession of the treaty means engineers from South Sudan can legally see
By Charles Lotara, SSMJ
Arusha, Friday (October 11, 2024) – The Engineering Council of South Sudan has signed the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for Engineers in a significant step to advance cross-border knowledge transfer within the East African region.
The MRA aims to streamline recognition of the professional qualifications of engineers in the region, thereby paving the way for their cross-border mobility. The accession of the treaty means engineers from South Sudan can legally seek opportunities in other member states.
The Registrar of the Engineering Council of South Sudan, the Engineers Board of Kenya, the Engineers Registration Board of Tanzania, the Engineers Registration Board of Uganda, and the Rwanda Engineering Council signed the accession agreement, according to a statement from the East African Community Public Relations desk.
The EAC Common Market Protocol, in Article 11, calls for enhancing labor mobility within the community through harmonization and mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications.
To actualize this vision, the secretariat says the Partner States have committed to Mutual Recognition Agreements aimed at recognizing academic and professional qualifications, along with associated experiences, licenses, and certifications obtained in other Partner States.
Speaking during the ceremony, Dr. Dorcas Omukhulu, EAC Principal Education Officer, underscored the need for competent authorities in the five partner states to ensure quality assurance for engineering professionals in the region.
“I also, in this vein, call upon the partner states whose competent authorities have not acceded to the engineers’ MRA to do so,” she said.
Representing the Engineering MRA Coordination Committee in East Africa, Benard Kavishe, chairman and registrar of Engineers Registration Board of Tanzania, observed that the decision was reached after comprehensive conformity assessment of the application by South Sudan, as guided by Article 11.3 of the MRA.
“This historic event will further strengthen the region's engineering profession and facilitate the free movement of skilled engineers within the EAC, contributing to the overall development and economic growth of the region,” he added.
In his remarks, Ritcher Bjoern, the EAC- GIZ Cluster coordinator, reflected on the German entity’s support for the East African economic integration journey for the last 25 years, saying:
“GIZ is pleased to support the Engineering Boards of different Partner States to facilitate not just the ceremony but also the platforms for cross-border skilled labor and look forward to working with the engineering stakeholders in the region.”
As an innovative step to breaking down barriers hindering the cross-border mobility of professionals in East Africa, the East African Community, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the European Union jointly developed the project Digitalization for East African Trade and Integration (DIGEAT).
The partners also developed leveraged integration frameworks for trade in services and CSOs in the EAC (LIFTED).
The two projects focus on the existing MRA for engineers and aim to improve cross-border mobility regulatory frameworks as well as establish a digital data exchange mechanism.
According to the South Sudan Engineering Council Act 2012, an engineer is defined as a person who possesses recognized academic qualifications, a post-graduate degree in engineering, and at least seven years of experience in any engineering field.
The council may also approve individuals who have been approved and credentialed by a recognized professional engineers' society.
By enhancing the mobility of professionals, the MRAs are expected to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills in the region and improve access to a wider pool of experts, thereby promoting quality and professionalism in the EAC region.