Cargo clearance at the Taveta/Holili border post has greatly improved trade between Kenya and Tanzania following the opening of a One-Stop Border Post.

Project manager Daniel Muturi told reporters recently that before the opening, it took 33 hours to clear vehicles carrying cargo across the shared border.

“It now takes only nine hours for documents to be processed,” he said.

Under the project, financed by Japan through its international cooperation agency, Jica, cargo clearance, immigration, customs and other border transit procedures are done under one roof, unlike in the past when each country would do its part.

Tanzania Revenue Authority supervisor at Holili Aden Mwakalobo said drivers and ordinary travellers are now relieved of the cumbersome custom and immigration procedures that used to take days.

A Tanzanian immigration officer, Mr Edwin Mwasota, said it took only 10 minutes at most to process travel documents.

Construction of the Holili-Taveta post, which aims to ease cross border trade in East Africa and transportation of people crossing the common border, is complete and is awaiting the official launch by leaders of the East African Community.

“Construction at Holili-Taveta is complete, paving way for controls that will save time and money for traders ferrying goods to northern Tanzania,” said a recent statement from Trade Mark East Africa (TMA), a not for profit organisation that supports EAC integration.

The Taveta-Holili border post is one more than 10 that are being built to facilitate trade and movement of people and goods.

The concept was adopted by the EAC specifically to minimise delays at border points.

It entails setting up a singe border office and consolidation of functions into a single public facility.

TMA Chief Executive Frank Matsaert recently said work on another major post at Busia and Malaba on the Uganda/Kenya border was nearing completion.

“We are already upgrading facilities on the Busia and Malaba border as well as working to improving the management of work processes and eventually easing transit times,” he said.

Source: Daily Nation

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