(BANGKOK, THAILAND) – Bank of South Sudan Governor Hon. Dr. Addis Ababa Othow has called for stronger trade integration through technology sharing, investment and regional cooperation among East African Community member states.
He made the remarks during an IMF organised meeting of EAC central bank governors in Bangkok, Thailand, held on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings.
“By working together as EAC member states, sharing technology and opening doors to investment, we can turn regional cooperation into more trade, stronger financial services and real economic opportunities for our people,” Othow said.
He pointed to investment opportunities in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, tourism and technology as key to driving economic growth.
The EAC discussions focused on strengthening regional value chains and drawing lessons from Southeast Asia, where regional cooperation has supported trade and investment.
Participants also explored opportunities in tourism, agriculture, transport connectivity and investment among member states.
Othow also took part in a high-level meeting organised by the International Monetary Fund for African central bank governors and finance ministers.
The meeting discussed Africa’s development priorities, including investment, trade, infrastructure and strengthening domestic financing.
Finance leaders called for stronger collaboration and strategic partnerships to expand investment, improve debt management, strengthen climate resilience and speed up infrastructure development for Africa’s economic growth.
The meeting looked at mobilising resources to support sustainable development across the continent.
The IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings are being held in Bangkok from 12th to 18th October 2026, bringing together more than 15,000 participants from 191 countries.
The EAC is a regional grouping of eight partner states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
South Sudan joined the EAC in 2016.
The community works on four integration pillars: the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation.
