EAC Heads of State Commission Namanga One Stop Border Post

Posted in Infrastructure

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1^st December, 2018: Tanzanian President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta today commissioned the Namanga One Stop Border Post on the Kenya/Tanzania border. 

The two Heads of State directed border agencies to facilitate small traders by allowing them to operate freely across the borders instead of using threats to demand bribes from them.

The two Presidents said that it was unkind for border agencies to discriminate against small traders in favour of big entrepreneurs yet the former were the mainstay of the East African economies.

“We as governments are here to facilitate the people of our two countries to do business. We are not in the business of doing business,” said President Kenyatta.

President Kenyatta, however, warned that operating freely across the borders was not a blank cheque for engaging illegal business activities like smuggling, gun-running, drug-trafficking and trading in wildlife parts. He urged business people to obey the law by engaging in lawful business only.

In his remarks, President Magufuli said that one the major obstacles to cross border trade in Africa was the lack of trade facilitation, citing numerous delays at the ports, national borders and checkpoints on the roads.

President Magufuli cited a World Bank report which indicates that lack of trade facilitation increases the costs of doing business in Africa by 75%. This had hindered intra-continental trade in Africa making it lag behind other continents on this parameter.

He said that the EAC had therefore embarked on the construction of 15 One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) across the region so as to promote intra-regional trade. President Magufuli said that the completion and operationalization of the OSBPs had come with benefits especially for travellers, tourists and traders by reducing the amount of time they spent at the border.

President Magufuli noted that the operationalization of the Namanga OSBP had seen revenues on the Tanzanian side rise from TShs3 billion to TShs4.8 billion in the 2017/2018 Financial Year, adding that it was projected to increase to TShs5.8 billion in the current Financial Year.

The Tanzanian Head of State said that the OSBPs were supposed to be a catalyst for trade and warned border officials against defeating this purpose by engaging in corruption in the OSBPs.

The Heads of State further called for increased investment and trade between the two countries which they described as made of people who shared a common history, cultures and languages, adding that people from the two countries were therefore not enemies.

“We should break down the borders drawn by our former colonial powers. East Africans are one people,” said President Kenyatta. President Magufuli said Kenya was the third biggest investor in Tanzania after the United Kingdom and South Africa, and called on Tanzanian entrepreneurs as well to invest in Kenya and other EAC countries.

The two presidents thanked the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for funding the construction of the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River road.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Gabriel Negatu, the Director General of the AfDB’s Eastern Africa Regional Hub, disclosed that the Bank would finance the construction of the Malindi-Mombasa-Lunga Lunga/Horohoro-Tanga-Bagamoyo Highway at the cost of US$322 million.

The Federal Republic of Germany has also provided support to the EAC Secretariat on the operationalization of the OSBPs in particular through substantial technical cooperation. The German financed “AU Border Programme at the EAC” has supported the EAC Secretariat through GIZ to develop and validate the EAC regional training curriculum on OSBPs aimed at building the technical capacity of border agencies to better manage border crossing points in a more secured, coordinated and efficient manner.

A Training of Trainers on the OSBP regional curriculum was conducted with over three hundred officers at 12 OSBPs trained in the past two years. This year, the programme supported an assessment of the operationalisation of OSBPs and the impact of border management in the regional integration agenda as well as the development of the EAC e-immigration policy.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:  

To date out of the 15 border posts earmarked to operate as OSBPs, 12 have been completed while 10 are now operational. The completed and operational OSBPs are Gasenyi/Nemba, Ruhwa, Rusumo, Holili/Taveta, Kagitumba/Mirama Hills, Mutukula, Kabanga/Kobero, Malaba, Busia and Namanga. The completed but non-operational OSBPs are Lunga Lunga/Horohoro and Isebania/Sirare. Those that have not been constructed are Katuna/Katuna, Kanyaru/Akanyaru and Mugina Mannyovu.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

African Development Fund approves US$322 million for road upgrading project in Burundi and Tanzania

Posted in Infrastructure

22 November 2018: The Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group have approved US$322.35 million loans and grant to Burundi and Tanzania to finance the Rumonge-Gitaza (45 km) and Kabingo-Kasulu-Manyovu (260 km) road upgrading project.

The project aims at strengthening regional integration and trade in the East African Community, particularly between Tanzania and Burundi through improved cross-border transport and is part of the East African roads network  linking the Port of Dar es Salaam to the regional markets in Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

To be completed in 2023, the project comprises several phases, including the upgrading from gravel to bitumen standard of Kabingo-Kasulu-Manyovu (260 km) road section in Tanzania and rehabilitation of Rumonge – Gitaza (45 km) paved road section in Burundi. It also involves the construction and operationalization of a One Stop Border Post between Tanzania and Burundi at Manyovu/Mugina Border; Rural/Urban Roads rehabilitation, Health Centres and Schools construction, Community Water Sources, and road safety, institutional support and capacity building of actors involved, including compensation and resettlement of people affected by the project.

The project aligns with the National Development Plans of both Burundi and Tanzania, particularly the respective sectoral policies on transport in both countries. When completed, this multinational road will help open up rural areas, reduce vehicle operating costs, and enhance road safety. In addition, it will improve access to socio-economic and health infrastructure located along roads, particularly in Burundi’s Rumonge province Tanzania’s Kigoma region.

“The project will fundamentally enhance the mobility of goods and services for the people in Burundi and Tanzania”, said Gabriel Negatu Director General of the Bank Group’s East Africa Regional Development & Business Delivery Office. “The improved transport will bring additional benefits for the two neighboring countries, including empowering women and youth for whom new market centers will be opened and other economic activities will increase.”

The project is in line with the objectives of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2013 - 2022) which focuses on assisting its regional member countries achieve more inclusive and greener growth via the Bank’s High5 priorities including integrating Africa and improving the lives of the people of Africa, The project is also consistent with the Bank’s Country Strategy Papers for both countries, which have infrastructure development as an important pillar. Likewise, the project is one of the priorities in the Bank’s East African Regional Integration Strategy Paper (2018-2022).

Complementary components to benefit local communities along the Project road in addition to the main roads upgrading works were well appreciated by Board members who encouraged packaging such integrated Projects.

For More Information Contact:

Sonia Borrini,
Communications Officer,
African Development Bank
Tel: +225 20 26 55 62;
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme

Posted in Infrastructure

COMESA-EAC-SADC

TRIPARTITE TRANSPORT AND TRANSIT FACILITATION PROGRAMME

Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme (TTTFP) validation workshop for cross border road transport agreements, model laws and regulations in Eastern and Southern Africa to be convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 05 - 09 November 2018. The TTTFP goal is to assist COMESA, EAC and SADC (Tripartite) member states to harmonize road transport laws, policies, regulations, standards and systems. The TTTFP is funded by the EU under the 11^th EDF. TTTFP is coordinated by a Programme Management Unit hosted by SADC Secretariat on behalf of the Tripartite.

Target Participants                                                                                                                                                                   

The target participants are Experts from the 21 beneficiary member states representing Ministries or Government Agencies with responsibilities and mandates in the following;

1. Attorney General Chambers or entity responsible for domestication of international agreements
2. Vehicle Load Management
3. Cross Border Road Transport Regulation
4. Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing
5. Vehicle Fitness Testing
6. Dangerous Goods –Emergency First Responders and Law Enforcement

In addition, fifteen (15) regional subsidiarity organizations with a mandate that covers cross border road transport and trade facilitation have also been invited to participate.

International Cooperating Partners funding and or implementing complementary programs have also been invited.

Documents

The documents to be validated include the following:

1. Draft Tripartite Vehicle Load Management Agreement (VLMA)
2. Draft Multilateral Cross Border Road Transport Agreement (MCBRTA)
3. Draft Model Laws & Regulations
   1. Vehicle Load Management
   2. Cross Border Road Transport
   3. Road Traffic (including Driver Quality and Vehicle Quality)
   4. Transportation of Dangerous Goods
   5. Road Traffic and Transport Transgressions

The two agreements are to be signed by Member States after validation and adoption and the model laws will assist Member States to domesticate the agreements. The TTTFP is also conducting training workshop is each beneficiary member state to explain the contents of the agreements and model laws in order to facilitate signing of the agreements.

Workshop Arrangements

The workshop will be convened as follows;

Dates:     05th - 09th November 2018

Venue:    Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hotel:      To be confirmed and advised

Invitations: Letters have been sent to respective institutions.

The workshop is managed and facilitated by COMESA, EAC and SADC Secretariats and the TTTFP Programme Management Unit.

For more information, please contact Lovemore Bingandadi, TTTFP Program Coordinator This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Gerrit Fischer –Team Leader TTTFP This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

15th Meeting of Sectoral Council on Transport, Communication and Meteorology (TCM) concludes in Arusha

Posted in Infrastructure

EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 5^th July, 2018: The 15th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Transport, Communications and Meteorology (TCM) was from 25^th to 29^th June, 2018 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Speaking at the opening session, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote, noted the considerable developments that are being registered in the infrastructure subsector in the region including the fast pace in the development of multinational roads, the rapid expansion of airports and national airlines, the on-going development of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) on the Northern and Central corridors, the expansion of seaports, as well as the increase in mobile penetration and related mobile services.

“The EAC Heads of State, during the Joint EAC Heads of State Retreat on Infrastructure and Health Financing and Development held on 22nd February 2018, approved 286 projects including 17 flagship projects for championship at the Heads of State Level, whose total investment requirement amounts to US$ 79 billion,” stated the Deputy Secretary General.

Eng. Mlote further emphasized that political support and leadership by the Ministers responsible for infrastructure sectors was a critical factor for successful implementation of the identified regional priority projects.

In his remarks, Hon. Bagiire, Minister of State for Works and Transport, Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda, stressed on the need to make headway on relating to air transport services liberalization and the EAC roaming framework.

The meeting discussed various projects and programmes under the Infrastructure sub-sectors - roads, railway, civil aviation and airports, maritime transport, meteorology and communication.

The meeting agreed on the proposal to develop Phase II of the One Stop Border Posts, as well as the need to fast track the implementation of Vehicle Load Control and One Stop Border Posts Acts. In an effort to further enhance the sub-sector in the region, the meeting also approved the EAC Railway Enhancement Study report and the EAC Postal Strategy.

In attendance were Ministers/Cabinet Secretaries, Permanent and Principal Secretaries and Senior Officials of the EAC Partner States responsible for infrastructure sectors; Civil Aviation Safety and Security Agency (CASSOA); the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and the EAC Secretariat. Also in attendance as observers were representatives from the East African Communications Organizations (EACO); Trademark East Africa (TMEA); Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD); IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC); World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC).

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 2008:9001 Certified