Rwandan clearing and forwarding agents are protesting high port costs and delays by Tanzania in issuing work permits. Tanzania charges $2,000 for work permits while Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have scrapped the fees.
Without the permits, Rwandan firms cannot do business at Tanzanian ports. Only five Rwandan clearing firms have unlimited access to Dar es Salaam port out of 200 registered.
“There is a need for a physical presence at the port. But for a long time, most Rwanda clearing agents have not been facilitated to have such a presence,” said a Rwanda Customs official. By comparison, Rwandans say it has been easy for them to establish a presence in Kenya and Uganda. Rwanda Revenue Authority Commissioner General Richard Tusabe said he appreciated the challenges but was optimistic they are being addressed, “though at a slow pace.”
Recently, the EAC Council of Ministers directed that member states waive work permit requirement and fees for the staff implementing the Single Customs Territory. Tanzania maintains that EAC citizens employed in the country must pay for work permits until the EAC Common Market Protocol is full implemented.
Deputy Minister for EAC Co-operation Abdallah Saadala asked the Rwandan clearing and forwarding agents to pay for their work permits until the EAC partner states harmonise their labour laws. “This is not Tanzania’s fault,” Dr Saadala noted.
However, the EAC Single Customs Territory Protocol, of which Tanzania is a signatory, requires each partner state to facilitate free movement of goods and services in the region.
Source: The East African

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