Businesses are rooting for capping of the common external tariff at 32.5 percent by East African Community member states. East African Business Council’s CEO Peter Mathuki says the new tariff would be presented during the forthcoming EAC member states summit slated for later this month for ratification. The meeting is also expected to deliberate on admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, who have expressed interest to join the trading bloc. However, businesses from EAC member states say they have brokered a deal to cap common external tariff at 32.5% with the proposal expected to be presented during the forthcoming EAC summit in Arusha slated for later this month in efforts to harmonize the tax regime in the trading bloc. The council has called on the member states to expedite in establishing a single regional air space and one network area to further lower the cost of doing business in the region. The proposal by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia to join the East African Community trading bloc is at an advanced stage. The forthcoming summit is also expected to handle trade issues between member states. Source: KBC Channel

Importers in East Africa will from July operate under a common Customs bond, which guarantees uniform import duties and taxes across all partner states. Currently, the value of Customs bonds varies from country to country because of the application of different duty rates, valuation and sensitivity of goods. Kenya requires importers of transit goods to secure a Customs bond issued by an insurance company, while delicate or sensitive cargo requires a bank or cash guarantee. In Uganda and Rwanda, the Customs bond is issued by an insurance company with rates based on the taxes charged by the destination country. According to the East Africa Community Single Custom Territory Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, the common Customs bond will reduce the cost of doing business and goods turnaround time. This common Customs bond is expected to be adopted during the Council of Ministers in July as part of the pillar to create a Customs Union. It is meant to create a level playing field for the region's producers by imposing uniform competition laws, Customs procedures and external tariffs on goods imported from countries outside the EAC. The Monitoring and Evaluation Committee met in Mombasa, Kenya to discuss how to tackle the remaining trade barriers. They agreed that enhancing integration of Customs and port functions will ease the seamless exchange of information among partner states. To secure cargo movement in the region, the revenue commissioners from Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda, who were in attendance, said they were already implementing cargo tracking...

Uganda is hoping to increase the volume of trade with South Sudan following the completion and handover of the first phase of Nimule one stop border post (OSBP) to the Juba government. The Nimule OSPB will be managed by South Sudan customs officials and if operated as it should, there is no reason as to why regional trade shouldn’t flourish. While Elegu, the Ugandan side of the border has for a while now been operating as OSBP, Nimule, the South Sudan custom point has been going about its business in the most frustrating manner, rendering cross border trade often times a nightmare. Speaking in an interview after witnessing the handover of the OSBP infrastructure in Numule, South Sudan recently, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Ms Amelia Anne Kyambadde described the $5million (about Shs 18.3billion) facility funded by UK government through TradeMark Africa (TMA) as “a very important development” for not just South Sudan and Uganda but the entire EAC regional trade. She said: “With opening of the Nimule OSBP, I expect exponential rise in trade. We expect to grow our trade with South Sudan by close of the year by even $500million (slightly more than Shs1.8trillion).” She continued: “We would like to see our traders form orderly associations so as to manage cross border trade well. This is important because the experience garnered here could act as a launch pad for the continental market—AfCFTA.” Ms Kyambadde indicated that South Sudan is a key market for Uganda’s exports, considering...

HiPipo Reporter. TradeMark Africa will partner with the East African Community secretariat to train Nimule customs’ officials on One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) implementation and management, Damali Ssali, the acting Country Director for TradeMark Africa, Uganda revealed. Speaking at the commissioning of the Nimule OSBP, Damali Ssali noted that following the completion of the infrastructure construction, focus will now shift to training trade facilitation officers so as to ensure that the OSBP is optimally utilized. “The biggest challenge to cross border trade is redtape and bureaucracy. I am glad that the Nimule OSBP will help tackle that issue. We hope that very soon, we shall have customs officials from both countries in this facility clearing goods and facilitating trade,” Damali Ssali said, adding; “TradeMark EA in partnership with the EAC secretariat is committed and will train officials at the Nimule border in the one stop border post act and controls so that we cut down at the very least 50 per cent of the time take to cross this border, among other benefits.”  H.E. Dr. James Igga, the Vice President of South Sudan noted that the modern border crossing catalyzed by the new infrastructure and the planned training of customs officials will greatly speed up cargo clearance and improve service delivery to citizens of South Sudan and traders doing business in the country. The US$ 5 million Nimule One Stop Border Post (OSBP) Project, was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) through TMA and undertaken in partnership with the...

By BusinessFocus Reporter TradeMark Africa (TMA) has handed over the recently completed Nimule One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to the Government of South Sudan aimed at further boosting trade between Uganda and South Sudan. The colourful handover held on Wednesday 6th February 2020 was  officiated by  Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan and Amelia Kyambadde, Minister for Trade, Industry and Co-operatives, Republic of Uganda. The US$ 5 million (Shs18bn) Nimule One Stop Border Post (OSBP) Project was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) through TMA and undertaken in partnership with the South Sudan Ministry of Transport. The project scope included a modern office block to house various government agencies involved in cross border trade among them Customs, Immigration, Bureau of Standards, Security Agents, Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Health. Other agencies active at the border include the World Food programme and Clearing Agents. The Nimule OSBP project also features access roads to the facility, a parking yard that can accommodate 150 cargo trucks as well as an examination yard for cargo processed through the border. Speaking during the project handover, Dr. James Igga noted that the modern border crossing would greatly speed up cargo clearance and improve service delivery to citizens of South Sudan and traders doing business in the country. “I am happy to note that with this new one stop border post, goods and travellers to our nation will be processed faster and in a more efficient manner, hence...

By The Independent Nimule, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT |  The One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Nimule international cross border town has been opened to boost efficient trade between Uganda and South Sudan. The US$ 5 million, approximately 18.3 million Uganda Shillings’ facility was on Thursday handed over to the Government of South Sudan by TradeMark Africa. It is expected to reduce congestion that has been causing slow movements of people and goods; poor border design, insufficient technical equipment, duplicated border procedures and non-coordination of the border agencies among others.   The facility has a modern office block to house various government agencies involved in cross border trade that includes; Customs, Immigration, Bureau of Standards, Security Agencies, Ministry of Trade and Health and clearing agents.  With South Sudan’s insecurity, movement of humanitarian aid was greatly hampered and was compounded by delays in clearance of goods that resulted into irregular supply of basic commodities to the local population.    According to Rebeca Cunnyua, a trader in Nimule, the border post is expected to boost women traders burdened by years of insurgency to rapidly continue expanding their businesses for sustainable livelihoods.  Dr James Igga, South Sudan’s Vice President noted that the modern border crossing would greatly speed up cargo clearance and improve service delivery to citizens of South Sudan and the business community.  The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives. , Amelia Kyambadde, noted that the improved border post would greatly enhance economic ties between the two East African Countries for sustainable development.  South Sudan is a...

By Robin Josso The first phase of the construction of the Nimule one stop border post in South Sudan has been completed and commissioned. This was at a ceremony graced by James Wani Igga, the Vice president of South Sudan. Funded to a tune of 5 million US Dollars by TradeMark Africa, the OSBP will host revenue and immigration officers from both South Sudan and Uganda under one roof and therefore enhancing a smooth flow of goods and persons. Source: NIMULE BORDER POST

HiPipo Reporter. “It is only those that have never experienced war that overlook the importance of peace,” Beca Cunnyua, an informal cross border trader at Nimule told our reporter when asked about the impact of the recent developments at the Uganda-South Sudan border. The trader was indeed spot on. Following the recent peace pact between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his former Vice President, now main rival Riek Machar, a lot of progress has been registered in South Sudan. Among the positive things that have come with the current peace enjoyed in South Sudan is the construction of the Nimule One Stop Border Post, access roads and a cargo verification centre at a cost of USD 5 million. This morning, TradeMark Africa handed over the recently completed Nimule One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to the Government of South Sudan in an event officiated by H.E. Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan and Hon Amelia Kyambadde, Minister for Trade, Industry and Co-operatives, Republic of Uganda. Nimule is the most important border crossing for South Sudan, controlling over 90% of all trade cargo destined for the country. Inadequate border infrastructure, insufficient technical equipment, poor border design, duplicated border procedures and non-coordination of the border agencies has resulted in congestion, slow down movement of people and goods, thus raising the cost of business. It would take an average 4 days to process imports through the border prior to the construction of the Nimule OSBP. Further, in...

By Jale Richard VP James Wani Igga arrives at the One-Stop Border Post on Thursday, 6 Feb 2020 | Credit | Okot Emmanuel The government of South Sudan and Trademark East Africa has launched the Nimule One-Stop Border Post. The event was officiated by the Vice President James Wani Igga on Thursday morning. The $5 million project was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development through TradeMark Africa. The boarder post features access roads to the facility, a parking yard that can accommodate 150 cargo trucks, and an examination yard for cargo. “The building is a modern office block to house various government agencies involved in cross border trade,” reported Eye Radio’s Okot Emmanuel. “Among them are Customs, Immigration, Bureau of Standards, security agencies, ministries of trade and health, among others..” In November 2016, the governments of South Sudan and Uganda signed the agreement for mutual collaboration and partnership for construction of border posts in Nimule and Elegu. Uganda launched its Elegu border post in November 2018. The two infrastructure projects are expected to ease congestion and reduce time and costs to clear goods, including humanitarian consignments destined for South Sudan. The border post will also improve market access and fasten border processes, and reporting of various non-trade barriers faced along the road. It is also expected to promote transparency and accountability among the agencies operating at the borders.  

By Bemanya Twebaze In Summary Unlock women’s potential. In order to unlock the full potential of women in Uganda, we must continue to foster an entrepreneurship ecosystem for women that helps them to overcome barriers – cultural, legal, social, traditional, etc. The 3rd edition of the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (Miwe) has listed and ranked Uganda as the top country with the highest percentage of women-owned businesses in the 58 markets evaluated around the world. The other top two include Ghana and Botswana. This is a great story of persistence by women who continue to drive the backbone of Uganda’s economy through SMEs. Despite all the advances, women in rural areas still fall far behind compared to their urban counterparts in terms of access to opportunities (markets, infrastructure, technology, affordable financing and education). Many women in Uganda become entrepreneurs by necessity (having no better choice of work) yet they are determined to succeed despite lack of financial capital and access to enabling services. In terms of achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship, the Mastercard Index shows that Uganda has attained significant progress despite challenges such as inadequate financial inclusion, which cuts off many women from the formal money economy. In order to unlock the full potential of women in Uganda, we must continue to foster an entrepreneurship ecosystem for women that helps them to overcome barriers – cultural, legal, social, traditional, etc. Gender-related biases are hindering women around the world from advancing their businesses. Yet women entrepreneurs continue to overcome these...