Twenty officers drawn from the Customs Division of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and the Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) are undergoing a five-day Tanzania- China supported training in a bid to tighten port security. The five-day programme is meant to sharpen their understandings and capacity to handle container scanners currently installed at the Dar es Salaam port. A statement issued by TPA said that the officers taking part in the training in sharpening their knowledge and skills come from Dar es Salaam and Tanga. "I praise the governments of China and Tanzania for embarking on this programme. We expect this training will increase capacity to the custom officers to undertake their duties more efficiently and thus increase revenue collections," TPA Director General Kakoko said. He said the trainees would also be able to verify details contained in the container and relate with the Bill of Lading documents. He said it was vital for the officers to verify government trophies, illegal arms, illicit drugs, and other products prohibited to be shipped through the ports.  He, however, challenged the officers to also take part in the repair of facilities by at least 50 per cent in case of they don't function. The training is being conducted by Nuctech Limited engineers. The company had already installed the scanners at Tanga and Dar es Salaam ports. Project Manager Zhang Sheng said the project was complete and currently they were undertaking training on how to operate the new scanners to allow the facility to be operated...

A lot has been done by the region to foster trade across the East African Community (EAC) bloc. The number of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) has been reduced to just a handful and traders can also now clear merchandise once, at the point of entry. On top of that, there are now very few roadblocks and weighbridges across the bloc. It is efforts like these that have led to a significant reduction in cost of transporting containers from Mombasa to Kigali; from $6,500 in 2011 to about $4,800 currently. This has saved the country about $7 million and boosted trade within the region. However, despite the gains, more needs to be done to further facilitate intra-regional trade and movement of people. According to a new report by the TradeMark Africa, EAC governments must address the remaining NTBs, including technical issues like standards, logistics and police roadblocks, red tape and lack of automation in intra-regional trade processes, to spur trade. The Rwanda Trade Programme Evaluation report, released on Monday, also faults inefficiencies along transport routes, especially at sea ports and border posts for the high transport and freight costs in EAC. These bottlenecks affect intra-EAC trade that is currently at just 17 per cent, a small figure considering the bloc boasts of a 160 million people market. Therefore, to further enhance trade in the region, Rwanda and other EAC countries should make targeted investments and policy reforms to help eliminate the remaining trade barriers. Already, Rwanda has announced it will undertake more...

The United Kingdom is backing the construction of internationally agreed port infrastructure at the Mombasa Port in the far east of Kenya. The port is being improved to meet the fast demand for port clearances by East Africa Community member countries that are landlocked and depend on Kenya’s biggest port for imports and exports business. Mombasa port serves more than 200 million people in EAC including Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. UK’s will construct bigger viable roads and expand docking points for ships to increase the efficiency of the port’s carrier activities which is an engine for the regional social-economic bloc. UK through the Trademark East Africa will not leave out the for the Dar-es-Salaam port modernization which is a trade outlet for the whole inner South Central markets and the EAC itself. After the signing of the trade partnership with UK in 2009, international trade on the two main EAC ports has increased both in turn over and pace, the clearing days reducing from 15 days to 4 days today. “ This has led to the reduction of freight and transport costs, increased competitiveness of goods exported by East African countries, and led to job creation,” TMA notes. UK aid now supports TMA with £95m for next 4 years to increase Kenya’s trade by £1.3b and create  700,000 by 2020 new jobs and generate an additional $1.2b in revenues. If the trend goes as planned then Kenya will be home to   British investors and thus delivering value for money for...

News that the East African Community has been hit by a severe funding crisis is a grim warning that hopes of a regional trading bloc could be farther from reality. The East African Legislative Assembly, the legislative arm of the community, says the financial crunch is so grave that Parliament and other institutions have had to cancel important activities. Staff salaries and payments to suppliers have been delayed. If basic financial needs cannot be met, how is the community ever going to achieve its lofty ideals of constructing a powerful and sustainable economic and political bloc? How is it going to meet the expectations of the region’s 150 million citizens, who are hoping for a seamless system that eases business, education, travel, and social integration across the borders? That the problem is a result of member states’ failure to meet their financial obligations to the community suggests that the countries do not have the commitment to drive the process. Unless members honour their financial obligations, citizens will lose faith in the whole process and the dream of regional integration will remain just that. A mere pipe dream. Source: Daily Nation

Nairobi — East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Speaker Daniel Kidega on Monday called for unity and reconciliation to resolve the current South Sudan leadership crisis. Kidega told the press at a briefing held at Parliament Buildings on Monday, that they are concerned by the continued 'political confusion' in Africa's youngest state. "We are an Assembly are very concerned about the political confusion in our newest member state -- the Republic of South Sudan -- we appeal to all the concerned parties, particularly the elected government which sits in Khartoum, to make sure peace prevails and provides opportunity to the South Sudanese to be fully integrated into the EAC process." The Regional House Speaker urged the East African Community (EAC) Head of States to intervene and help restore stability adding that a crisis in any of the EAC member countries impacts critically on to the economy of all the member states. "South Sudan is part of the EAC, whatever happens in any part of the EAC, affects the totality of the community." Kidega stated. "You might be aware that when we saw some political challenges in the Republic of Burundi, the EAC swung into action through the Summit and the Plenary." Kidega however tactfully sidestepped the circumstances that led to the Kenyan government withdrawing its troops from the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UN-MISS) in response to the sacking of the Kenyan commander of the UNMISS force. "In the words of His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta, we are not...

Frank Matsaert, the TradeMark Africa chief executive, speaks during a news conference as RRA commissioner-general Richard Tusabe, looks on, on Monday, in Kigali. / Nadege Imbabazi The ongoing integration efforts across the East African Community (EAC) region largely aim at increasing trade. The efforts have involved operationalising single customs territories, reducing non-tariff barriers, creating one-stop border posts, and encouraging mass production in regional countries to export to countries in the bloc. However, despite these efforts, intra-regional trade across the bloc is at about 17 per cent, according to trade experts who say that there is great potential across the bloc. EAC comprises six countries with a population of more than 160 million. According to Frank Matsaert, the TradeMark Africa Chief Executive, though some indexes put the levels of trade in the region at 20 per cent, 17 per cent is more realistic. Matsaert said that persistent setbacks to regional trade in EAC largely comprise of non-tariff barriers which include, technical issues such as standards, logistics and police road blocks. TradeMark Africa is a non-profit company that supports the growth and trade to ensure gains for EAC residents. “The other barrier to trade is lots of paper work requirements, red tape and lack of automation in the process of intra-regional trade,” he said. Matsaert was speaking at the launch of Rwanda Trade Programme Evaluation Report by TradeMark Africa, in Kigali, on Monday evening. Matsaert noted that despite the progress with developing physical infrastructure across the region, there was still a long way to...

The East African Legislative Assembly Speaker Daniel Kidega, flanked by members of his House, addressing the press in Nairobi/CFM By LABAN WANAMBISI, NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Speaker Daniel Kidega on Monday called for unity and reconciliation to resolve the current South Sudan leadership crisis. Kidega told the press at a briefing held at Parliament Buildings on Monday, that they are concerned by the continued ‘political confusion’ in Africa’s youngest state. “We are an Assembly are very concerned about the political confusion in our newest member state — the Republic of South Sudan — we appeal to all the concerned parties, particularly the elected government which sits in Khartoum, to make sure peace prevails and provides opportunity to the South Sudanese to be fully integrated into the EAC process.” The Regional House Speaker urged the East African Community (EAC) Head of States to intervene and help restore stability adding that a crisis in any of the EAC member countries impacts critically on to the economy of all the member states. “South Sudan is part of the EAC, whatever happens in any part of the EAC, affects the totality of the community.” Kidega stated. “You might be aware that when we saw some political challenges in the Republic of Burundi, the EAC swung into action through the Summit and the Plenary.” Kidega however tactfully sidestepped the circumstances that led to the Kenyan government withdrawing its troops from the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UN-MISS)...

East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Speaker Daniel Kidega. PHOTO | FILE  A funding crisis that has crippled operations at the East African Community (EAC) is set to cloud debate at the Nairobi sittings of the trade bloc’s legislative arm beginning Tuesday. The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Monday said the financial crunch is so serious that the Assembly, a number of institutions and organs within the EAC have either cancelled or significantly curtailed their activities. Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, EALA Speaker Daniel Kidega said cash remission by member states had fallen way behind budget. “I know generally that there is pressure on our economies, but the point of concern here is that partner states committed to contribute money equally to the integration process. But these commitments are not coming in time and therefore affecting the EAC integration process,” he said. In the current (2016/2017) financial year, Kenya is among countries doing dismally in remittances to the EAC, having paid only 28 per cent of the Sh854.5 million that is due per country annually. Rwanda has remitted only 23.8 percent of the amount due, Tanzania 6.6 per cent while Burundi has remitted nothing. Uganda is doing better that the other partner states, having paid Sh760.3 million or 88.9 percent of the amount due. Flanked by other EALA members at the Press briefing, Dr Kidega noted that the Assembly had to suspend some of its activities in September and October due to lack of funds. Some of the affected activities are...

Arusha — Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will now be able to access firsthand information on trade and investment opportunities across East African Community (EAC) member countries, thanks to a new initiative by youth focused non-governmental organization (NGO). The Vision for Youth has launched has launched a project known as "SokoMkononi" that aims to identify challenges and enable SMEs to get information on the EAC investment and trade opportunities, the NGO's director, Ms Violet Ayubu told The Citizen yesterday. This, according to her, is because though the EAC Common Market Protocol became effective on July 1, 2010, many Tanzanians still lack information on the opportunities found in the wider regional market in other member states like Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda. The common market provides the four freedoms of free movement of goods, labour, services and capital which significantly boost trade and investment and makes the region more productive and prosperous. The project, according to Ms Ayubu, is funded by EAC and GIZ. "The project commences with Tanzania and Uganda before moving to other EAC states. With it, we seek to ensure that business people are able to understand what is needed to be able to sell products between the two countries," she said. Specifically, the project seeks to educate business people about the customs, taxation requirements, rule of origin and the products allowed to be traded between countries. The NGO will also open a portal to allow online discussions between business people and get quick information on what is...

By Sophie Morlin-Yron CNN (CNN) -- Near Africa's horn on the easternmost part of the continent, a shiny new electric railway runs alongside an old abandoned track through both arid desert and green highlands. Some 750 kilometres long, the $4 billion line opened in October and links landlocked Ethiopia to the coast in Djibouti. It was partly funded and built by Chinese companies, just like the other planned lines it could soon link up with neighboring Sudan and Kenya -- where the first part of a new $13bn Kenyan railway linking Mombasa to Nairobi is taking shape. The sprawling network is planned to continue into South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, as part of transnational efforts to connect countries within East Africa. This could transform how goods and people move, and the increased number of lines is expected to boost trade in countries like Kenya, says Kuria Muchiru, Advisory Partner, East Africa, at PwC in Kenya. "Because we probably have about 4,000 trucks everyday making the trip up from Mombasa into Nairobi, and some go further on," adds Muchiru. The ports are where the magic happens, with 90% of African imports and exports conducted by sea which can be an issue for trade coming into landlocked countries. "The new lines will have access to the ports and be able to almost offload directly onto the train and then straight onto inland locations," Muchiru says. Billions in loans The new lines are part of the so-called LAPPSET rail project and the...