Greetings from the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) and welcome to the 14^th Issue of our Economic Briefer. This Issue in the ACODE Economic Briefer Series addresses the issues of escalating commodity prices and rising energy (fuel) prices. The Briefer then delves into the implications Democratic Republic of Congo’s accession to the East African Community.

The 14^th Issue of the Briefer is themed around the rising commodity prices and delves into probable and feasible interventions. The escalation in prices of commodities and fuel exacerbated by global supply-chain disruptions and Geo-political tension in Europe has become an issue of great concern for policymakers and the general public. The surge in prices comes at a critical time when the Ugandan economy is struggling to rebound from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ripple effects associated with this epidemic’s instituted containment measures. The broad magnitude of sky-rocketing prices is having enormous socio-economic implications on economic activity, government revenue and household welfare. Cast against the apparent gloom though is the silver lining visible in matters of regional economic integration. A discussion of the expansion of the East African Community (EAC) trade bloc by admitting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) deserves attention in this briefer.

It is against this background that the 14^th Issue of the briefer seeks to stimulate debate and propose interventions to address economic vulnerabilities posed by the inflationary pressures and its interlinkages within the economy while explaining possible opportunities presented by the DRC joining the EAC.

As always, we invite Your Feedback to help us improve. If you missed Issue 13, find it here. Please note that while ACODE is the publisher of this briefer, the views expressed herein are strictly for the authors. They do not represent organisational positions for ACODE or the organisations where our contributing authors work.

Stay safe.