The East African Community (EAC) has endorsed a harmonised framework for cross-border data transfers, paving the way for common regional rules to lower digital trade barriers and support the bloc’s Single Digital Market.
The framework which was validated during a regional workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, bringing together data protection experts from the EAC Partner State, is expected to guide the adoption of common regional rules governing how personal and commercial data is transferred across borders while balancing the free flow of information with privacy and data protection requirements.
The move addresses a growing obstacle to regional digital trade. While the EAC Common Market has eased the movement of goods, services, capital and people, businesses operating across the region still contend with different data protection laws, transfer requirements and compliance procedures in each Partner State.
The fragmented regulatory environment has increased operating costs and complicated the delivery of services such as mobile money, e-commerce, cloud computing, digital banking, telemedicine and online education.
The proposed framework seeks to harmonise those rules by establishing common standards for cross-border data transfers, improving cooperation among national data protection authorities and promoting greater regulatory certainty for businesses operating in multiple markets.
According to EAC Deputy Secretary General for Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs Annette Ssemuwemba, fragmented data governance has become a non-tariff barrier to regional integration.
Ssemuwemba adds that cross-border data flows have become as critical to regional integration as the movement of goods and services, pointing out that mobile money transactions, customs systems, online government services, digital health platforms and virtual learning all depend on the secure exchange of data between countries.
“Cross-border data flows are no longer a technical or niche regulatory concern. They are central infrastructure for regional trade, financial services, digital public services and health systems across the East African Community,” she said.
EAC is banking on the framework to strengthen cooperation among national regulators, reduce compliance costs for businesses and encourage investment in the region’s digital economy.
The measures are expected to particularly benefit micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which often face higher costs when complying with different regulatory requirements in multiple jurisdictions.
The initiative forms part of the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP), a World Bank-supported programme through which the EAC is developing common digital policies alongside regional initiatives on digital identity, cybersecurity, cross-border payment systems and telecommunications infrastructure.
The validated framework will now be refined before being submitted through the EAC’s policy-making processes for consideration by Partner States.
