The Ministry of Trade and Industry in conjunction with the Private Sector Federation has produced an assessment on the status of Non- Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in the region, which shows that removal of NTBs especially along the Northern and Central Corridors are taking slow progress.
However, in the northern corridor, progress has been recorded at border posts, which are no longer highlighted as a major barrier by truck drivers. This has likely been the result of introducing One-Stop Border Posts and 24hour 7day operations which avoid duplication of clearance procedures as well as reducing congestion and overnight delays.
The report suggests that focused attention must be made to other persistent NTBs and not focused solely at improving border procedures. Weighbridges, for instance, remain a cumbersome, time-consuming process that nearly always results in hefty bribes being paid. Corruption also remains a real concern for firms, who face a significant addition to transportation costs as a result. Other NTBs identified suggest that the harmonisation and revision of tonnage regulations in particular must be considered by Kenya and Uganda in the near future.
Whilst notable progress has been made by the Mombasa port in introducing measures to improve and expedite clearance of cargo such as 24hour 7days operations and a One- Stop Centre for key procedures, consultations with the private sector indicate that Rwandan exporters are still not experiencing the large improvements purported by officials. It still takes two weeks for Rwandan cargo to clear, with local shipments often clearing much quicker.
Traders along the Central Corridor face similar problems but suffer to a much lesser extent from extortionate corruption than the Northern Corridor, with total bribery payments estimated at around US$20. Yet, significant NTBs exist along the route and have, in some cases, worsened since Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation conducted its baseline study in 2008. Particularly of note is the increase in the number of weighbridges encountered in Tanzania from five in 2008 to the eight currently observed.
This is seen as a contradiction in respect to an agreement by Partner States aimed to eliminate NTBs and refrain from introducing additional ones. The increased time added to journeys is a significant cost to importers and exporters. Customs checks and police roadblocks are also an unwarranted hindrance.
The Border Post at Rusumo, for instance, lags behind than other Border Posts in the region and is particularly poorly equipped and closes as early as 6pm due to the reliance on solar power. Additional NTBs, such as, time sheets and transit licenses further complicate the journey, and the risk of highway robbery is such that many drivers refuse to continue driving at night due to risk of theft.
Dar es Salaam port has made some improvements in introducing competition to container management. However, customs procedures remain lengthy and the modernisation and automating of operations needs to be increased to ensure cargo clearance is expedited. Capacity is still limited in dealing with the demand for cargo handling facilities.
Concerning the Bujumbura route, there are very few Rwandan trucks that travel to Burundi. Clearance on the Rwanda-Burundi Kanyaru Border Post does not take long, and the Gasenyi Border operates a ‘One Stop Border Post’ and the result is relatively quick. Nevertheless, the infrastructure at the port is still minimal. The port is rarely congested, mainly as a result of low demand. The Port has a capacity of 500,000 tones but the port does not handle even half of that. While driving along the Kigali- Bujumbura road, there are no roadblocks ; customs check points or weighbridges identified.
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