NAIROBI, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The regional trading bloc East Africa Community (EAC) has called for intensified efforts to fight corruption in the partner states.

EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation Beatrice Kiraso said the recently signed Common Market Protocol will heighten regional socioeconomic activities and stress ethics and integrity in order to achieve the set objectives.

"This stage (Common Market) is the backbone of our integration as it will facilitate free movement of persons, goods, services, capital as well as the rights of residence and establishment," Kiraso said in a statement on Saturday.

"It is a requirement, therefore, to establish regional institutional framework to deal with the challenges of these freedoms and increase economic activity," she told the meeting of the partner states' Heads of Anti-Corruption, Ethics and Integrity authorities.

Anti-corruption, ethics and integrity are among the four pillars of the EAC Good Governance Framework which is one of the initiatives to lay a firm foundation for the EAC Political Federation.

Corruption, she noted, has negative impact on all aspects of integration as it impedes investments, trade, movement of capital and persons. "It is directly related to poor service delivery and no doubt enhances poverty levels in our region," she added.

Kiraso urged the authorities to consolidate the national efforts on the fight against corruption and promotion of good governance "to create an environment that is attractive to foreign and regional investors so as to bolster the benefits of integration."

The EAC fundamental principles stipulated in Article 6(d) of the Treaty include good governance, adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities, gender equality, as well as the recognition, promotion and protection of human and peoples' rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

The draft protocol has had the input of experts and different stakeholders at partner states level and this meeting will seek the endorsement of the heads of Anti-corruption agencies and integrity centers from all the five partner states, namely Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

This, and other on-going initiatives, will further be discussed at the forthcoming conference on Good Governance which follows the first one that was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in January this year.

"The good governance will be an annual event which will provide an opportunity to different players under the four pillars of the Good Governance framework to take stock of the successes and challenges in their sectors. Addressing good governance issues is part of the process of political integration," Kiraso said.