Tanzania, May 12 -- Arusha. The East African Business Council (EABC) has urged East African Community (EAC) member states to align fiscal policies and national budgets to make regional trade more efficient and competitive as the bloc targets raising intra-regional trade to 40 percent by 2030.

The appeal comes amid new data showing that while the East African economy continues to expand strongly, trade among member states remains far below the region's potential under its Common Market framework.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the EAC economy is projected to grow by 5.6 percent in 2026, above the African average of 4.3 percent.

At the same time, the EAC Quarterly Statistics Bulletin for October-December 2025 shows t...