Dar Es Salaam — A US-based business consultancy firm is eyeing prospects of investing in the production of ethanol in the East Africa region as an alternative source of energy.

Ms. Rosa Whitaker, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Whitaker Group, said this while meeting the Secretary General of the East African Community, Ambassador Juma Volter Mwapachu last week in Arusha during her visit to the EAC's headquarters.

Whitaker encouraged leaders in the region to look at the production of ethanol as an alternative source of energy to enhance more power production and usage in the region.

"The region has high potential and capacity for sugar production and yet the bi-products could be used in the production of ethanol for energy," she said.

"Once this whole process is implemented, EAC could be marketed as the ethanol hub of the region and Africa as a whole", she added.

Whitaker said, "There is a lot of attention and excitement about the EAC region in the United States", adding that, "The US is looking towards the EAC as a role model of a regional economic community in Africa".

According to an EAC statement, the discussions between The Whitaker Group and EAC officials centered mainly on the on-going regional projects and programmes especially capacity building in trade and facilitation; and the EAC Development Strategy (2006-2010).

The Secretary General of the East African Community, Ambassador Juma Volter Mwapachu said, "The visit by the Whitaker Group to the EAC Headquarters is timely and sets the stage for a long and elaborative engagement between the Group and the EAC in the overall context of realizing the aims and objectives of the EAC.

The two sides noted the critical role of how well-established infrastructure can play in the regional integration and development process.

"In order to attract meaningful investment in the region, partner states are striving to provide adequate, assured and reliable infrastructure and the enabling environment in the sector," Mwapachu said.

The Whitaker Group is a US consulting firm that facilitates trade, investment and commerce in Africa.

The group works with African governments and US, African and multinational corporations to forge alliances and capitalize on commercial opportunities.

Founded by Whitaker, a former Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, the Whitaker Group is comprised of industry and government experts with a track record of achievement in trade, investment and economic development.

Prior to launching the group, Rosa Whitaker served as the first Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for Africa in the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton.

In this capacity, she developed and implemented the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and other bilateral and multilateral trade policy initiatives toward Africa.

She started USTR's Office of African Affairs (OAA) and was the lead US negotiator for trade agreements with African countries.