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Kenyan business people have cited restrictions, costly regulations, non-harmonisation of standards, harassment and multiple verifications of goods by Tanzanian authorities, as some of the factors feeding the trade wars between the two countries.
The Kenyan delegation at the recent traders’ forum in Dar es Salaam to deliberate on trade relations between the Tanzania Private Sector Federation (TPSF) and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), noted that Kenyan exporters have encountered restrictions while seeking to enter especially the Tanzania cement, edible oils and cigarettes market.
“There is a need to facilitate administrative processes on the movement of goods including clearance at border points. We also need a rethink of the policies regarding preferential treatment in respect of cement and edible oils.
“It is time to engage the private sector firms that initially lobbied for these restrictions on the need to review and change their positions,” said George Owuor, KEPSA governor and EAC sector board chair.
Kenyan vehicle parts manufacturers, for example, complained of being denied preferential treatment for their automotive products.
The Kenyan delegation also raised issue with the harmonisation of standards, noting that Tanzanian officials seemed to be reading from a different set of rules, which basically puts a new layer of trade restrictions between the two countries.
They cited the existence of two certification agencies; the Tanzania Bureau of Standards and the Tanzania Food and Drug Authority, (TFDA) yet in other EAC countries, only an equivalent of the former exist. Their overlapping roles cause delays as one has to get cleared by both. This happens at the Namanga, Sirare, Isebania and Holili border posts.
“We recommend that the East African Community Secretariat promotes the harmonisation of standards and co-operation between various agencies. The adoption of equivalence and recognition on mutual standards could help address harmonisation between the different bodies and agencies taking into consideration that there are already bodies in the region that have the relevant certification at both regional and international levels. Harmonisation should be broad and address both goods and services,” Mr Owuor said.
“Our trucks that undergo verification at the manufacturers’ premises still have to be verified at the border which is burdensome. Tanzania also requires mandatory refumigation of wooden pallets even when these have been treated in Kenya.
“It is important that the two countries recognise international standards in respect of treatment of wooden pallets. It time that both the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi administrations enhance information sharing and co-operation on standards and verification through the single window system, already in place in Kenya,” the businessmen said.
The TFDA was also accused of requiring importers to register, re-label and retest already certified goods, which makes it difficult to sell perishable products in Tanzania.
Source: The East African
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.