THE East African Business Council (EABC) has commended Tanzania’s decision of reducing the cost of testing Covid-19 for domestic travelers from 100 US dollars (about 231,860/-) to 50 US dollars (about 115,930/-) for RT- PCR test.

Speaking here at the weekend after paying a courtesy call on the Arusha Regional Commissioner John Mongella, EABC Chief Executive Officer John Bosco Kalisa said the move will sustain and boost cross border trade in the East Africa Community (EAC) region.

Mr Kalisa noted that such an initiative would attract more international tourists and service providers into the country, boosting the resilience and recovery of the tourism and economy at large.

This comes amid reports of an increased services receipts to 221.3 million US dollars (about 512bn/-) in June this year, compared to 110 US dollars (about 255bn/-) last year, as reported by the Bank of Tanzania (BOT).

“EAC partner states should provide stimulus package and fiscal incentives to the tourism sector as the EAC bloc lost a whopping 4.8 billion US dollars in international tourism receipts and 2.1 million jobs in the year 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Mr Kalisa.

Tanzania has also reduced the cost of the Antigen Rapid Test from 25 US dollars (about 57,965/- to 10 US dollars (about 23,186/-) for all travellers entering the country and removed the test at all borders posts except at airports.

The new charges have since taken effect, according to Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Dorothy Gwajima.

Earlier this year health ministry issued a statement clarifying the decision behind the hike of Covid-19 tests by almost 400 per cent, where the cost of testing for the disease rose from 40,000/- to 230, 000/-.

Dr Gwajima stated in a Covid-19 testing guideline for people travelling abroad that the hike of new Covid-19 variant across the world and technological changes in testing had forced the cost to rise

During the visit, the EABC boss handed over a donation of 2000 masks to the Regional Commissioner to be given to truck drivers, women cross border traders and communities at the borders.

He told the RC Mongella that the regional apex body of private sector associations and corporates from the six East African countries had embarked on Covid-19 donation campaign to support the governments of EAC partner states to curb the outbreak the pandemic in the region.

“Women who compose over 70 per cent of cross-border traders have been heavily impacted by killer virus and the government should revamp markets at the borders points to help MSMEs trade safely amid the pandemic,” he added.

For his part, Mr Mongella commended EABC for stimulating cross-border trade and investment and committed his support to promote the role of the private sector as the engine for economic growth in order to elevate Arusha as a leading business and diplomatic hub in Africa.

In 2019, manufacturing value-added percentage to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at 16 per cent in Uganda, 9 per cent Burundi, 8 per cent in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and 4 per cent in South Sudan.

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