East African Community plans to open 15 one-stop border posts to promote trade, says top official

The East African Community (EAC) plans to open 15 one-stop border posts to reduce the time taken to clear goods and services.

Alfred Kitolo, a director with the State Department of East African Affairs in the Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, said this would reduce the time spent at the border by 30 to 40 per cent.

Mr Kitolo said agencies from adjoining states would be housed in one building to promote trade and investment within the EAC.

He was speaking during a three-day capacity building forum on operational procedures of one-stop border posts at the Lunga Lunga border post yesterday.

Participants included officials from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), security departments, national and county governments, Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya Trade Network Agency, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, the Kenya Wildlife Service and business community representatives.

Kitolo said the Lunga Lunga one-stop border post would be handed over to the facility management and trade facilitation committee in September once it was completed.

IMPROVE FLOW

Kwale County Executive for Trade and Co-operatives, Safina Tsungu, commended the EAC member states for building one-stop border posts, saying it would deepen the EAC integration process and improve the free flow of goods and services across common boundaries.

James Kivuva, senior assistant director in the State Department of East African Affairs, said parties agreed that respective officials should jointly conduct physical inspection and searches under the Kenya-Tanzania-Bilateral Agreement.

Among the border posts under construction are Kabanga/Kobero at the Tanzania-Rwanda border, Lunga Lunga/Horohoro at the Kenya-Tanzania border, Busia/Busia (Kenya-Uganda border), Mutukula/Mutukula (Tanzania-Uganda) and Ruhwa/Ruhwa at the Burundi-Rwanda border.