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TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) has given a grant of $24 million to fund infrastructure projects in Uganda, in a bid to boost trade in the region.
The funds will be used to upgrade four one stop border post sites namely Mutukula (Uganda), Busia (Uganda), Mirama Hills (Uganda)/Kagitumba (Rwanda) and Elegu (Uganda)/ Nimule (South Sudan).
According to TMEA One Stop Border Post director Sjoerd Visser, this will ease the cost of doing business efficiency in service delivery across the border due to improved infrastructure.
“Upgrading the border posts is key to efficient and faster transit of goods and services across the border, hence a move to implementing the bloc’s integration process,” said Mr Visser adding that this will reduce the time it takes a truck for example to cross the border from three days to just one day or less.
He however noted that clearing of goods still takes longer hours, stretching to days or months, thus hurting the business community.
The post will be fitted with an electronic system to enable traders access their business details online. “For both countries to realise the expected results from this OSBP, we must use all available avenues, such as ICT, and customer-friendly relations,” he said.
The World Bank is also making similar investments of roughly $6 million per OSBP in Malaba and Gatuna(Rwanda)-Katuna (Uganda).
Related upgrades have been undertaken in other EAC member states at specific border posts, including Namanga border post at the Kenya-Tanzania border and Rusomo at the Rwanda-Tanzania border.
Under the OSBP concept, all traffic would stop once in each direction of travel, facilitating faster movement of persons and goods, and allowing border control officers from the two partner states to conduct joint inspection.
“The key benefits OSBPs include less time spent crossing borders for travelers; simpler and more efficient clearance procedures for businesspeople; while border agencies stand to gain through improved information sharing and risk management – leading to more effective controls”, said Mr Visser.
The funds will be used to upgrade four one stop border post sites namely Mutukula (Uganda), Busia (Uganda), Mirama Hills (Uganda)/Kagitumba (Rwanda) and Elegu (Uganda)/ Nimule (South Sudan).
According to TMEA One Stop Border Post director Sjoerd Visser, this will ease the cost of doing business efficiency in service delivery across the border due to improved infrastructure.
“Upgrading the border posts is key to efficient and faster transit of goods and services across the border, hence a move to implementing the bloc’s integration process,” said Mr Visser adding that this will reduce the time it takes a truck for example to cross the border from three days to just one day or less.
He however noted that clearing of goods still takes longer hours, stretching to days or months, thus hurting the business community.
The post will be fitted with an electronic system to enable traders access their business details online. “For both countries to realise the expected results from this OSBP, we must use all available avenues, such as ICT, and customer-friendly relations,” he said.
The World Bank is also making similar investments of roughly $6 million per OSBP in Malaba and Gatuna(Rwanda)-Katuna (Uganda).
Related upgrades have been undertaken in other EAC member states at specific border posts, including Namanga border post at the Kenya-Tanzania border and Rusomo at the Rwanda-Tanzania border.
Under the OSBP concept, all traffic would stop once in each direction of travel, facilitating faster movement of persons and goods, and allowing border control officers from the two partner states to conduct joint inspection.
“The key benefits OSBPs include less time spent crossing borders for travelers; simpler and more efficient clearance procedures for businesspeople; while border agencies stand to gain through improved information sharing and risk management – leading to more effective controls”, said Mr Visser.
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