TANZANIA and Kenya opened one-stop border posts at Holili and Taveta border to facilitate trade across the border of the two countries marking another key milestone in the integration process in the East African region.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, East
African, Regional and International Cooperation, Ambassador Augustine
Mahiga, and Kenya’s, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Labour and East
African Affairs, Phyllis J. Kandie, opened two state-of-the-art border
posts at Holili and Taveta set up by TradeMark East Africa to ease
customs procedures between Tanzania and Kenya and boost trade in the
Eastern African region.
The East African Community Secretary
General, Dr Richard Sezibera, also graced the occasion which was also
attended by top government officers from Tanzania and Kenya including
the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Amos Makala and Taveta County
Commissioner, Oningoi Ole Sosio.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Mahiga
said the opening of the Holili and Taveta border post reflected the
determination of Tanzania and Kenya to boost regional integration
through trade facilitation.
“It’s a demonstration of trust between
the two countries and that the One People, One Destiny dream is slowly
being realized through various East Africa Community initiatives,” he
said.
Dr Mahiga said the OSBP is set to
increase efficiency by reducing time and transport costs incurred by
businesses, farmers and transporters in crossing the border. The
Minister further said that the Arusha-Holili/Taveta-Voi road which was
currently under construction would boost cross border trade and foster
good neighbourliness between Kenya and Tanzania.
He added that the two countries had
demonstrated the political goodwill to implement EAC initiatives. Dr
Mahiga said the next step was capacity building in the management of
OSBPs to ensure smooth operation and better service delivery.
He called on the Tanzania and Kenya
business community to make good use of the posts and take advantage of
the new facilities to spur cross border trade which plays an important
role in poverty reduction as it provides trading opportunities for a
good number of people.
The success and operation of the one
stop border post at Holili and Taveta marked a key milestone in
streamlining business across border and enhancement of cross-border
trade, he said.
“I am confident the transformation will
go a long way to facilitate easier movement of people across the border
and boost trade between the two countries. It will reduce the cost of
doing business and facilitate easier movement of goods and people across
border,” he said.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Labour and
East African Affairs, Phyllis J. Kandie said the opening of the One
Stop Border Posts at Holili and Taveta border marked an important
milestone in the integration process of the region and called upon the
business community to make optimal use of the facilities to enhance
trade.
“Kenya cherishes the vision of widening
and deepening of integration... Kenya strongly believes in dynamism of
regional integration,” she said. She said with the construction of Voi
and Taveta Road nearing completion, the new facilities at Holili and
Taveta would boost trade in the East African region and unlock trade
potential of the Kilimanjaro Region and Taveta County.
“I am pleased to appraise the
substantial progress already recorded in the construction of the
Taveta-Mwatate-Voi road section. Already, 75 per cent of the road is
complete and opened for use.
“It is anticipated that by the end of
this year, the outstanding works on that section will be complete and
the people of Taveta and Northern Tanzania for the first time will
travel to and from Mombasa and other parts of Kenya with ease,” he said.
Mr Kandie noted that Non-Tariff Barriers
(NTBs) remained a big challenge on the economic front and should be
addressed by all partner states as a matter of urgency. “NTBs constitute
prolonged formalities, multiplicity of institutions, limited capacity
at entry points, technical requirements and travel restrictions through
convoys and time of day among others.
“These are implemented through
protectionist tendencies among trading blocs commonly referred to as
‘Behind the border measures’. “The challenge that comes with the
elimination of NTBs is their mutative nature.
Their impact on intra-EAC trade flows is
serious and real. They stifle trade; depress returns on investment, and
add extra costs to goods traded across our borders,” she said.
The EAC Secretary General, Dr Sezibera,
said Holili/ Taveta OSBP was the first among eight on the borders of the
EAC Partner States that have been completed and are awaiting to be
commissioned.
Dr Sezibera said the EAC realized that
the economies of member states were interdependent, adding that the best
approach was to work together to reduce the costs of doing business.
“This OSBP will boost trade by
facilitating faster clearance of cargo, realize significant reduction in
transport costs and ensure effective border control mechanisms are put
in place,” he said.
The TMEA Director of OSBPs, Theo Lyimo,
said the Holili/Taveta border posts were among 55 OSBPs in East Africa
and South Sudan funded by TradeMark East Africa. He said they expected a
return of 30 US dollar for every dollar invested in the project
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