Trucks await clearance at the Mutukula border between Uganda and
Tanzania. Mutukula one-stop-border-post linking Uganda and Tanzania was
this month officially handed over to the Uganda government, paving the
way for faster cross-border movement of goods and people. PHOTO | FILE
By PHILOMENA MATSIKO
In Summary
The Mutukula one-stop-border-post linking Uganda and
Tanzania was this month officially handed over to the Uganda government,
paving the way for faster cross-border movement of goods and people.
The $15 million project funded by TradeMark East Africa (TMEA)
commenced in 2008 as one of the components of the East African Trade and
Transport Facilitation project.
However, the Mutukula one-stop border controls will only become
operational end of next month due to some pending construction works on
the Uganda side of the border.
“I would like to urge all users and managers of this facility
not to lose sight of the main objectives of its establishments; in
particular the need to allow for the hosting of border control officers
in each other’s territory,” said Doris Akol, Commissioner General of the
Uganda Revenue Authority.
“For road transporters, instead of the several days’ wait to
complete formalities at the Mutukula OSBP, if all paperwork is correct;
inspection, it will be jointly done by the border agencies of both
Uganda and Tanzania to avoid unloading and reloading cargo,” she added.
Experts said the facility, which has Customs and immigration
check points, an inspection hall, clearing agents block and staff
residential houses, should lead to reduction in border crossing time at
Mutukula from an average of eight to less than five hours, and a 30 per
cent increase in annual traffic of trucks from — 17,000 to 22,000.
URA Commissioner for Customs Dickson Kateshumbwa said that on
average, 725 cargo trucks and 224 private vehicles use the Mutukula
border point each day, taking more than one day and six hours or longer
to clear one truck.
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