The Ministry of Health has established a new electronic portal to improve processing of import and export health certificates. The paperless information system dubbed Port Health Services e-Portal is set to enhance service delivery and improve processing of port documents within 12 hours up from 6 days. In a statement, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Cleopa Mailu said the new service developed in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) will improve productivity and increase efficiency with self-service which minimizes contact between clients and service providers. Source: Kenya News

Xinhua News Agency | Thu,2017-04-27 NAIROBI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Thursday launched an e-portal for Port Health Services that will boost surveillance against cross border transmission of diseases. Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu told a media briefing in Nairobi that the digital platform will manage services offered to traders at Kenya's points of entry. "The management information system is part of the government's policy of promoting automation of services for greater efficiency," Mailu said. "The online system will provide a platform for faster electronic processing of applications for export and import health certificates," he added. Mailu said that the e-portal will greatly contribute towards creation of an enabling environment for business transactions and thus enhance Kenya's commercial profile. "Importers and exporters will now be able to acquire health certificates in 12 hours as compared to four days under the manual system," he added. The digital platform will enable Kenya to provide services at the port of entry in line with international health regulations and therefore contribute towards attainment of Global Health Security Agenda. The portal will also provide a forum for port health officers to share information on the movement of goods thoughout the country. Mailu noted that port health services play a very important role in trade facilitation through the inspection of goods of public health importance. "However some of the goods handled are perishable in nature and require to be processed within the shortest time possible," he said. The portal was funded by TradeMark...

Negotiations between the European Union (EU) and African countries for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) have consumed vast energies from both sides this century - yet with not a great deal to show for it. The EPAs were agreed to in principle in 2000, when the Cotonou Agreement replaced the 1975 Lomé Convention. In essence that fundamentally changed commercial relations between the EU and the developing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries - from preferential, non-reciprocal, to normal, reciprocal trade. But if African countries accepted that change in principle, realising it has been extremely fraught. Taking the plunge into the icy waters of mutual free trade has evidently been too frightening for developing countries used to one-way traffic into the huge 510 million-person EU market. Magufuli warned that the EPA could wreck Tanzania's own still-fledgling industries And so, even after more than a decade of often tortured negotiations, the results are not impressive. Only 30 of the 76 ACP countries are implementing EPAs. In 2008, the Cariforum EPA was signed with 15 Caribbean countries. In the Pacific only two countries, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, signed on. In Africa, the EPA with ESA - the Eastern and Southern Africa group comprising Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe - entered into force in 2012. The Central African EPA was provisionally implemented in 2014 - but with just one African country, Cameroon. The major regional blocs, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC),...

DAR ES SALAAM, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A senior official with the East African Community (EAC) said on Thursday implementation of the bloc's single customs territory (SCT) has tremendously reduced the cost of doing business in the region. Dicksons Kateshumbwa, chairman of the EAC Committee on Customs, said turnaround time has been reduced from 21 days to 3-5 days on average between the entry points to Kampala in Uganda, Kigali in Rwanda, and Bujumbura in Burundi. The six-member EAC is implementing a number of customs projects, including the SCT, transforming the way of doing business for the benefit of EAC members economies. "Capacity building and sensitization to support the SCT has been done and is ongoing," Kateshumbwa told a news conference in Dar es Salaam. The SCT started in 2014 on both the northern and central corridors where goods are assessed and declared at the first point of entry and move to the destination partner state with taxes and duties paid upfront. Kateshumbwa said integration of customs functioning was enhanced through cross-border deployment of staff in partner states, leading to better accountability, deterrence of smuggling and closer cooperation among customs authorities. "So far we have rolled out goods on the SCT on pilot basis," Kateshumbwa said. "However, the most important decision we have made today is that we have agreed on the full implementation of the SCT effective July 31, 2017." He said customs automation across the region has been enhanced in all member states -- Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda,...

The Ministry of Health has established a new electronic portal to improve processing of import and export health certificates. The paperless information system dubbed Port Health Services e-Portal is set to enhance service delivery and improve processing of port documents within 12 hours up from 6 days. In a statement, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Cleopa Mailu said the new service developed in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) will improve productivity and increase efficiency with self-service which minimizes contact between clients and service providers. "The portal provides a forum for port health officers to share information on movement of goods through the country," he said. Mailu added that the information system will also have capability for further enhancements to allow for issuance of international travel vaccination certificates. He said as part of the Kenyan government digitization process, the health services ePortal will also be integrated with other government agencies including Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) via an interface with the Kenya National Single Window currently in development by the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KENTRADE). "Moreover the system has been integrated in the Kenya National Electronic Single Window System for intergration with Kentrade," he said. Head of Preventive and pro motive Health at the Ministry of Health Dr. David Soti who launched the system which is integrated with other government agencies including Kenya Trade Network Agency (KENTRADE) will serve as a platform for all Ports of Entry to share information...

Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Development Authority Director General Sylvester Kasuku told a media briefing in Nairobi that dredging works began in October 2016 and the work is currently 20 percent complete. "China Communication Construction Company is expected to complete construction of the three berths by the year 2020 at a cost of 480 million U.S. dollars," Kasuku said. The East African nation has so far spent 120 million dollars for the construction of the port with another 100 million dollars earmarked for the next financial year. Lamu port will have a total of 32 berths and is part of the LAPSSET Corridor Program which will cost over 26 billion dollars to complete. Kasuku said that the Kenya government will fund construction of the first three berths while the rest are expected to be funded by private sector under a public private sector framework. The South African government has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the first three berths in the Lamu port. "The South Africans are currently in the phase of submission of proposals and are undertaking discussions with relevant government agencies before commencing construction works," Kasuku said. The port has also received inquiries from ten private firms seeking to invest in the infrastructure project. Kasuku said that Lamu port is expected to surpass Mombasa port to become the largest port in Kenya in the next ten years. The Director General said that the Mombasa port currently handles 1.2 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually and...

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with regional trade facilitator TradeMark Africa (TMA) to improve cross border trade and enhance trade links between the country and East Africa Community (EAC) member states. The government of the Netherlands has committed $6.7 million to kick-start the projects. TMA will invest in projects involving already available resources such as water transport, simplifying trade processes through training and facilitating adoption of ICT around Eastern DRC. They will comprise dredging and rehabilitation of Kalundu Port on Lake Tanganyika; capacity building and implementation of Integrated Border Management Systems on the border crossings in Rusizi between Rwanda and Bukavu; rehalibitation of the Ports of Kasenyi on the DRC side and Ntoroko in Uganda; as well as infrastructure work at the border crossing at Goli, Uganda and Mahagi, DRC. “Trade is a way to reduce conflict and unemployment. The agreement will contribute to the training of cross border traders in trade issues, exporting and tapping into regional markets. This will especially benefit our youth,” Prof. Nehemie Wilondja, DRC Directuer du Cabinet noted. TMA Director General David Stanton said they are seeking to replicate the success of similar initiatives between EAC governments and businesses to drive down the costs of trade along the key transport corridors, which include the border with DRC, in the country. The institution has facilitated projects along the Northern Corridor from Mombasa Port, Kenya linking Uganda, Rwanda, DRC and South Sudan; and the Central Corridor connecting Dar es...

A visit to Busia County tells a story of ongoing transformation in cross-border trade. The Kenya-Uganda trade, for a long time known for lengthy procedures, expensive processes, a lot of paperwork and middlemen, has changed considerably. Customs and other border control agencies from two states now sit under one roof to facilitate trade and collect revenues with ease. That is the concept of one-stop border post (OSBP). Kenya has since made the OSBP a reality in seven of its border crossing points in a bid to remove the barrier to cross-border trade. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) says custom collections have tripled and clearance time cut from three days to just under one hour since it began implementing the OSBP in June last year. KRA western regional coordinator Kevin Safari says the simplified procedures have attracted traders into the cross-border business as well as reduced smuggling, increasing revenue collections. “With a faster and a simpler process, traders have had no incentive to use illegal channels to bring in goods into the country as they are assured of a faster and a more transparent process. “We have also reduced the time they would take to cross the border, meaning they can trade more volumes which is also a revenue boost for us,” said Safari said during a tour of the Busia border point. National economy At the Busia border point, which is major entry and exit point between Kenya and Uganda, past delays forced trucks ferrying goods between the two countries...

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) says it has tripled custom revenue collections in its seven border points after it began operating one-stop border posts in June 2016. The move, which put together bureaucrats involved in cross-border clearance processes under one roof, has also cut cargo clearance time from the previous three days to just under 1 hour, the agency said. KRA Western Regional Coordinator Kevin Safari said the simplified procedures have attracted traders into the cross order business as well as reduced smuggling hence the increased revenues. “With a faster and a simpler process, traders have had no incentive to use illegal channels to bring in goods into the country as they are assured of a faster and a more transparent process,” Mr. Safari said during a tour at the Busia border point. “We have also reduced the time they would take to cross the border meaning they can trade more volumes which is also a revenue boost for us.” The Busia OSPB which is major entry and exit point between Kenya and Uganda has a one-stop clearance point for cargo and people, with various government agencies sitting in one office to fasten the clearance procedures. Kenya has 35 gazetted entry and exit points with four more being proposed in the Western border with Uganda. Source: Asempa News

Kenya’s private sector has opened fresh talks with Tanzania in a fresh bid to convince the least-developed East African Community peer to sign the stalled trade deal with 28-member European Union. The Kenya Private Sector Alliance has entered into a partnership with the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation to discuss regional and international trade, among key issues being the Economic Partnership Agreement between the region and the European Union. The partnership was entered into last Friday, Kepsa business regulatory environment consultant Patrick Tonui said yesterday. “We want to look at how we can support trade between us and the international markets. In our discussion, they (TPSF) recognised that this is a conversation they need to have in Tanzania, and they are having it,” Tonui said during the Kepsa’s quarterly media briefing in Nairobi. Tanzania is perceived to be the stumbling block in the deal which gives the region quota-free and duty-free market access to the EU. Only Kenya and Rwanda have signed and ratified the EPA deal. Uganda has shown intentions to signs, according to East African Affairs Principal Secretary Betty Maina. Tanzania has declined to sign the pact twice in 2014 and 2016, saying it will hurt the growth of her industries. Burundi on the other hand cited the wavering diplomatic relations with the EU which came after President Pierre Nkurunziza re-election bid. Kepsa however believes that private sector intervention in all EAC member states will lead to the conclusion of the deal. “We want our country to grow and...