East African customs authorities have adopted an electronic system to track lorries travelling between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to speed up journeys. The trackers will allow officials and traders to monitor trucks travelling to and from the Kenyan port of Mombasa. A device will be attached to vehicles and is intended to help prevent hijacks and goods being tampered with. Uganda, which pioneered the project, says journey times could be cut from three-and-a-half days to just 36 hours. Detours detected The geo-mapping, known as the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking (RECT), will apply to the main road stretching from Mombasa port to the Rwandan capital, Kigali, known as the "Northern Corridor". Officials will be able to monitor journeys on a map and be able to immediately detect any detours. About 90% of goods through the region are transported by road with the risk of cargo being targeted by criminals. Customs officials say drivers have also been known to take diversions and siphon off freight, for example offloading coffee and adding stones to make up the missing weight. "There has always been that unpredictable aspect of not knowing whether your goods will reach or they won't reach and that in itself is a very serious discomfort, now this will resolve that problem," Kassim Omar, chairman of the Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agents in Uganda, told the BBC at the launch in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. "The level of assurance guarantees the buyer abroad or the supplier from this end that what...

As the elections for the nine representatives to the East Africa regional body’s Parliament draw near, the candidates are spending most of the time at Parliament trying to solicit their support. There are six candidates from NRM, the ruling party, one from the Forum for the Democratic Change, one from UPC, one from DP and over 30 independents. As the elections EALA draw near, the candidates are spending most of the time at Parliament trying to solicit their support. As the elections for the nine representatives to the East Africa regional body’s Parliament draw near, the candidates are spending most of the time at Parliament trying to solicit their support. There are six candidates from NRM, the ruling party, one from the Forum for the Democratic Change, one from UPC, one from DP and over 30 independents. Janet Kenyangi Kikwaya (Independent) At 24, she is the youngest in the race Q: What motivated you to contest for the EALA seat? I have always been involved right from primary three at Margaret Preparatory School up to Senior Six at Kyeizooba Girls Secondary School. I look at politics as way of serving people.  Q: What do think has been lacking in EALA and which value would you intend to add there? EALA has signed a lot of protocols on peace and security, integration, non-tariff barriers; however, most of the protocols signed are not implemented. I will make sure that all the protocols and policies signed are implemented as well as deepening integration among...

GENEVA –An international agreement forecast to boost global trade by $1 trillion (£800bn) a year has come into force. The Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Roberto Azevedo, called it "the biggest reform of global trade in a generation". The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) involves streamlining customs procedures. Mr Azevedo said it would have a bigger impact than eliminating all existing taxes on imports, known as tariffs. It involves countries signing up to a long list of reforms, including easier access for businesses to information, reduced fees and simpler and faster procedures. WTO economists estimated it would cut the cost of trading by 14.3%, and that developing nations would gain the most. TFA is one of the few successes of a much wider set of negotiations that were launched in late 2001 in the Qatari capital and known as the Doha Round. It is not the only product of the Doha Round, but most of the negotiating agenda ran into the sand. The TFA was finally agreed at a meeting in Bali 2013, but could not come into force until 110 countries had ratified it. That is what has now happened. Mr Azevedo said the agreement would boost global trade by up to $1 trillion a year. This development comes at a time when there is increasing uncertainty about the outlook for the agenda of increasing trade liberalisation that the WTO embodies. The new US President Donald Trump wants to renegotiate the country's trade agreement with Canada and...

The WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) has entered into force, with supporters hailing it as the greatest single achievement in the organisation’s history. The ratification is a timely boost for free trade advocates, at a time when the populist protectionist rhetoric of US President Donald Trump has been dominating the debate. The TFA has been under discussion since 1996 and has been awaiting ratification since 2013. The process was slow, but at last, the WTO has a ratified agreement. The TFA standardises customs procedures among WTO member states, cutting costs and reducing the time it takes to export and import goods. The WTO forecasts that it will slash trade costs for members by 14.3% on average, boosting global trade by up to US$1tn per year. A 2015 study by the WTO estimates that the TFA would reduce time to market for imports by a day and a half, and two days for exports. This is a reduction of 47% and 91% for imports and exports, respectively. The study says that TFA will add 2.7% a year to world export growth up to 2030. This would equate to 0.5% of global GDP – a huge boost at a time when global trade growth is stagnating and the benefits of globalisation are under scrutiny. The TFA passed the required threshold of 110 members when Chad, Jordan, Oman and Rwanda submitted their instruments of acceptance, and the general consensus is that by streamlining trade facilitation, the developing world will be the biggest winner. “This would boost global trade by...

Mombasa — The East African Community (EAC) has reminded election monitoring bodies and media organisations in partner states to use its treaty in line with their respective countries' legal frameworks when managing and covering elections to maintain free and fair polls. The regional bloc has principles for election observation and evaluation based on among others, its treaty. The principles are based on international standards, Union Charter on Human Peoples' Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The regional body made the statement during a three-day capacity building workshop for election monitoring bodies and other stakeholders to assess fairness of the political space and campaign playing field through media monitoring. Funded by the European Union (EU), the workshop is expected to equip stakeholders with full knowledge and skill in using media to get a firsthand and at glance assessment information in regard to political space and campaign playing field fairness. "Use the treaty as reference in the course of making the elections free and fair in the region," EAC's Deputy Secretary General (Political Federation), Mr Charles Njoroge, said yesterday. He pointed out that the media plays an indispensable role in the proper functioning of a democracy, and within an electoral context, the media is expected to play a transparency "watchdog" role. "If the media's role is vital in the normal course of events, exceptional periods such as elections can put its impartiality and objectivity to harsh test," he argued. Mr Gerard Guedegbe, media training expert based in Benin,...

The inefficiency of our public transport infrastructure, on which our neighbouring states of Uganda and Rwanda also depend, has long been a national embarrassment. For many years now, we have been told that it took a much shorter time to ship goods to the Port of Mombasa from manufacturing centres in the Far East, than to deliver these goods by road from Mombasa to Malaba on the Kenya-Uganda border. Now that “the trains have arrived”, which will run on the brand new standard gauge railway, all this embarrassment will supposedly soon end. This SGR project, however, is not universally celebrated. Eminent critics insist that there has never been a greater white elephant in all of East and Central Africa. And that it is something of an economic crime to burden the country with such massive debt, when there will be so little direct economic benefits to be received from this SGR. I have no strong opinion either way on this. But what I do know is that the ultimate value of giant infrastructure projects is to be found not so much in the project itself, but in the “multiplier effects” that should follow. The Kenya-Uganda railway, for example, was built back in 1900 primarily to “open up the interior” of East Africa: to facilitate the establishment of a modern agricultural economy through the arrival of “White Settlers” who would carve out of the African Savannah large plantations for growing the valuable cash crops of the day. This was very successful....

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has entered into a partnership agreement with the East Africa Trade and Investment Hub to ensure best-in-class manufacturing of goods destined for the US market from East Africa. Signed yesterday (21 February) in Las Vegas, the agreement launches the 'East Africa Cotton, Textile and Apparel Initiative' to establish sustainable workforce development programmes and institutionalise environmental, social, labour and worker safety best practices in the region. The aim is to work with East African governments to raise industry standards, promote job creation, and increase trade and investment. US retailers and East African businesses are expected to both benefit from the initiative. The Hub, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) organisation, will work to help East African governments and private sector entities institutionalise the best practices and standards that US apparel, footwear, and travel goods sourcing companies require. It is hoping to support the creation of 45,000 jobs across Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda in the first three years of the initiative, as well as creating jobs and further growth in the US apparel, footwear, and travel goods sector. Meanwhile, the AAFA says it will actively engage in advocacy activities before country governments in East Africa and lead private sector engagement. It will also "strengthen US manufacturing and support US jobs and economic growth" for its brands while encouraging companies and their suppliers to develop sustainable operations in East Africa. East Africa is establishing itself as a key sourcing destination for global apparel,...

At the close of the fourth round of the inter-Burundian dialogue held in Arusha from 16 to 19 February, Mkapa said it is imperative to convene an extraordinary summit of Heads of East African Community states to boost the dialogue process. “There is an imperative need to hold an extraordinary EAC summit to look into the obstacles that cause the dialogue process to drag on. It is an emergency. I will present this to the mediator and the current EAC President as soon as possible, “Mkapa told journalists on 19 February. The facilitator in the Burundian conflict requested Burundi crisis stakeholders to commit themselves to peace, comply with the principles and spirit of the Arusha Peace Agreement and the Constitution. Mkapa said that participants generally agreed on the key points discussed namely the return of refugees, the improvement of the political climate, the economic sanctions imposed on Burundi and the return of the exiled politicians. He said, however, that there are certainly divergences in their implementation. “I remain convinced that the four themes form the basis for the next dialogue session,” Mkapa said. The facilitation in the Burundi crisis had organized the 4th dialogue session for the actors in the Burundian conflict, but the Government of Burundi rejected that invitation. It accused the facilitation team of having invited some members of the coalition of opposition political parties CNARED wanted in Burundi. They are accused of being involved in the coup against the Burundi institutions. “EAC must impose sanctions on the...

It is crystal clear that the relation of Ethiopia and Sudan is evolving to the level of mutual trust. Their cooperation in investment and diplomatic communication has continued growing. Ethiopia has been working with all nations close by to capitalize regional interrogations. It as well is striving to address infrastructural gaps on top a underpinning power as well as trade and human development endeavors. Ethiopia is showing unwavering commitment towards furthering relationship between the aforementioned nations. The country's clicking with Sudan could corroborate the case in point. For mutual benefits, Sudan the trustworthy nation in pursuing and willing to establishing proper relations with the Nile Basin countries. tBoth nations have demonstrated notable cooperation in the utilization of the Nile River in this system. Both Ethiopia and Sudan believe that Nile is surely a source of cooperation and mutual benefits among neighboring countries. The economic and security interdependence Ethiopia has developed with Sudan is considered to be a lasting investment for both. Its political leadership's commitment is attributable to the achieved important gains in economic integration. For instance, the volume of trade has been increasing significantly showing 27 percent annual growth since the Preferential Trade Agreement was signed between the two sides before ten years. Last week, the 18th session of the joint Ethio-Sudan border development conference had been held in the town of Mekele, northern Ethiopia. The conference's focus was among the initiatives by the two countries geared towards strengthening ties. The monumental ties of Sudan and Ethiopia could be...

When it comes to non-tariff barriers, each country in the East African Community has a story of its own: If not complaining about another member state, the said country is imposing its own, according to a report on the elimination of non-tariff barriers in the region. The report points fingers at Tanzania as the country with the highest number of NTBs in the region. For example, to register any product in Tanzania, one is required to pay $2,000 against other countries in the region charging $1,000. After registration, Tanzania demands the same price for renewal after every five years besides an annual retention fee of $300. According to the report, presented to the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment on February 2, the Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA) registers injectables and other products per pack size and treats each pack as a product by itself. In other countries in the world including the other EAC states, manufacturer's register all products as one but highlight all the presentations on the same certificate. "Kenyan exports to Tanzania are subjected to verification three times -- at the manufacturers premises, and the trucks have to pass through ICD for full verification at the border. This consumes time and is costly for Kenyan exporters," said the report adding that Tanzania also has a pallet fumigation requirement for Kenyan wood pallets to enter into Tanzania. The 75 per cent rules of origin requirement for tobacco originating from Kenya to enter...