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| Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional East African and International Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga |
According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional East
African and International Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga (pictured),
NTBs have also not helped Tanzania’s image if frequent complaints from
neighbouring countries on the cost of doing business in the country are
anything to go by.
Speaking at the launch of the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Holili
and Taveta on the Tanzania-Kenya border, Dr Mahiga said the
multiplicity of checkpoints and other obstacles were serious issues that
ought to have been resolved long ago.
“I must admit that Tanzania had become an obstacle in getting
certain goods and services to other neighbouring countries. For
instance, the port of Dar es Salaam was one of the biggest NTBs,” Mahiga
said.
Flanked by East African Community secretary general Richard
Sezibera, the minister described the Dar es Salaam port - which serves
as an entry and exit point for imports and exports from countries like
Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Zimbabwe - as being overstretched.
This, he said, had compelled the current (Tanzanian) government to
address issues of corruption and inefficiency that had become the order
of the day at the port.
“Our aim is to reform and revamp the Dar es Salaam port so that it regains its lost glory,” said Mahiga.
He assured Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for EAC Affairs,
Commerce and Tourism, Phyllis Kandie, that the government of Dr John
Magufuli was determined to do away with bureaucracy and other obstacles
hampering the EAC’s progress.
“A country cannot develop on its own as it takes two to tango,” Mahiga quipped.
According to official research, low skills and little use of modern
technologies are affecting the management of cargo flows in East
Africa, a problem which accounts for over 40 per cent of business costs
in the region.
Financed by Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), the $12 million
state-of-the-art OSBP facility is expected to reduce the time spent in a
cross-border trade transaction by combining all activities at a single
location, with simplified exit and entry procedures and joint
processing.
The concept of the facility is to reduce unnecessary traffic
snarl-ups at the border point and ease the way of doing business in the
region. According to Kandie, the OSBP is expected to also help in
achieving the desired goal of regional political integration.
“Integrated border management is crucial, it is also imperative we
involve business partners in implementing the OSBPs in the region,” she
added.
TMEA one-stop border post director Theo Lyimo said the aim of such
centres is to reduce transit costs incurred in cross-border movement,
which is done by combining the activities of countries that share
borders.
“The time taken by vehicles at border posts will be reduced by 30
per cent and trade effectiveness in the East African Community will be
enhanced,” he said.
According to TMEA, the posts are expected to improve the
performance of the northern and central corridors, saving $1.9 billion
in annual transport costs.
East Africa is among regions in the world that have inordinately
high transport costs, rendering it unable to trade competitively in
international markets.
For instance, many hours are taken to travel to and from the
hinterland to land-locked countries. Poor infrastructure and delays in
crossing borders are also frustrating importers and exporters.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
