The office expected to help Rwanda business community be able to pay for port charges in Kigali was launched by the State Minister in charge of Transportation in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, Tanzanian Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Prof. Makame Mbarawa and the Director General of TPA, Eng. Deusdedit Kakoko.
Speaking in the event on Friday, Minister Uwihanganye said that the decision to open a Liaison office in Kigali will stimulate business activities between the business people of Rwanda and the government as a whole.
“The one stop centre system will create confidence to our people since all port charges will not necessitate a business person to travel all the way to Dar es Salaal for clearance as all clearance will be done in Kigali,” he said.
TPA Director General, Kakoko explained that they decided to open an office in Rwanda in order to bring services closer to Rwandan customers and entice more customers to use Dar es Salaam Port.
He said that the office will benefit Rwandan business community to solve their problems from locally.
“The new TPA office will help Rwanda business community solve their queries and problems in Kigali instead of travelling all the way to Dar es Salaam. They will be able to make payment for port charges in Kigali and avoid the risk of carrying large sums of money to Dar es Salaam,” he explained.
In the near past, he said, there were complaints that Rwandan traders were being cheated, but added that the problem is going to become history.
“Also cargo monitoring will be done from Kigali and this will help speed up clearance as traders will have updated information on the status of their cargo,” he added.
Kakoko said that the office seeks to solve issues like port delays, theft, non-tariff barriers along the corridor and unscrupulous clearing and forwarding agents.
Tanzanian Transport Minister Makame said that the existing cordial business relationship between Tanzania and Rwanda in particular with TPA and Dar es Salaam Port, is because Rwanda is the third big user of the Dar es Salaam Port among the neighboring transit countries that use the port.
He said that the importance of the port and transport operations in promoting trade and economic development cannot be over-emphasized.
“It is our duty as facilitators of transport and logistics to put in place the necessary infrastructure and superstructure to be able to offer efficient transport services and enhance competitiveness,” he said.
Dar es Salaam is the largest port handling over 90% of all the country’s total seaborne trade.
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