However, their recovery is likely to be anemic, at least for the time being, given the recent weakness shown in economic indicators of the U.S. and European economies amid greater uncertainty regarding Iraq-related developments. In this situation, the increase in Japan’s exports is expected to remain very modest, and industrial production is likely to be more or less unchanged for the immediate future.
However, for this to succeed, an appropriate mechanism, in terms of institutional arrangements and legal frameworks, has to be put in place to guard and guide the production of harmonized and quality statistics in the EAC Partner States and more importantly, at the regional level. These statistics will inform policy formulation and implementation in the integration process.