Uganda wants a more efficient system of moving cargo to help reduce costs on goods across East Africa.

Kampala says that delays in scanning cargo in transit as well as its verification, its overstay at container freight stations (CFS) and corruption account for more than 20 per cent of losses in the goods that Uganda trades in.

“More than 82 per cent of Uganda imports pass through Port of Mombasa; that is why we are meeting our Kenyan counterparts to address the logistics inefficiencies in import and export of goods which are estimated to cost $827 million to the Uganda business community and government every year,” said the Minister of Trade, Amelia Kyambadde.

She spoke recently at the third Trade and Business Facilitation Symposium in Mombasa.

Ms Kyambadde said that other hindrances including non-tariff barriers, poor enforcement of policies, insufficient information and undefined taxes, continue to hurt trade across East Africa.

She expressed her concerns over the lack of implementation of some trade policies along the Northern and Central Corridors.

Source The East African

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