A Kenyan ferries an assortment of cooking gas cylinders, February 21,
2016. The Tanzanian government has expressed concern over Nairobi’s
refusal to allow cooking gas imports through Tanzania land borders. FILE
PHOTO | NMG
Summary
- Tanzania's Trade PS Prof Mkenda said Kenya’s decision had affected businesses and ordinary citizens who earn their living through cooking gas trade.
- He noted that the issue had featured during an EAC sectorial meeting in early June that brought together ministers of trade, industry, finance and investments from EAC member states.
- He said the June 2, 2017 meeting reached a decision that Kenya should lift the ban in adherence to the EAC protocol.
The Tanzanian government has expressed
concern over Nairobi’s refusal to allow Tanzanian exporters to transport
cooking gas to Kenya through Kenya-Tanzania land borders.
Industry,
Trade and Investment Permanent Secretary Prof Adolf Mkenda, in a
statement on Thursday, said Tanzania had only learnt of the ban through
the Kenyan media.
He said Kenya’s decision was against
East Africa Community (EAC) protocol and had breached an agreement
reached between the two countries after Kenya imposed a ban on
importation of cooking gas from Tanzania on May 18, 2017.
Prof
Mkenda said Kenya’s decision had affected businesses and ordinary
citizens who earn their living through cooking gas trade.
He
noted that the issue had featured during an EAC sectorial meeting in
early June that brought together ministers of trade, industry, finance
and investments from EAC member states.
He said the June 2, 2017 meeting reached a decision that Kenya should lift the ban in adherence to the EAC protocol.
“During
the meeting, Kenya agreed to lift the ban on importation of cooking gas
and wheat through Tanzania-Kenya borders,” he said.
“However, it is with great disappointment that we have
learnt through the Kenyan press that Kenya government has continued to
implement the ban,” Prof Mkenda added
He said he has already registered complaints by the Tanzanian government on the matter through his Kenyan counterpart
Wheat ban
Besides
imposing a ban on importation of cooking gas through the two countries’
borders, Kenya has imposed a ban on importation of wheat, which,
according to Prof Mkenda, is against EAC trade regulations.
He
said that following Kenya’s decision, the Tanzanian government would
continue to take measures to ameliorate the situation. However, the PS
didn’t elaborate what measures have been taken so far.
Asked to elaborate, Prof Mkenda said in a telephone interview with The Citizen that it was too early to reveal the measures that have been taken by the government in the wake of Kenya’s decision.
He, however, reaffirmed that Tanzania would continue to adhere to EAC protocol.
“We
will continue to strengthen trade relations between us and other EAC
member states…we still believe Kenya is one of our key partners when it
comes to trade in the EAC bloc,” Prof Mkenda said in the statement,
adding:
“We believe that decisions which are made in
the official meetings between EAC member states must be implemented by
concerned parties.”
Price surge
The
decision by Kenya’s Energy ministry raised the possibility of a
shortage of cooking gas and a surge in the prices of the commodity.
On
April 24, Kenya's Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau announced the ban
on gas imports through Tanzania, a move meant to eliminate illegal
cooking gas filling plants that posed safety and security risks.
“The
Cabinet Secretary has written a letter to Energy Regulatory
Commissions, Customs and Kenya Bureau of Standards and designated
Mombasa as the only point of import for LPG. So if you want to play in
this game, come and invest in Kenya, import through Mombasa and then we
can now follow up who is supplying unlicensed dealers. But now this
whole thing about Tanzania is a thing of the past,” Mr Kamau then said
at a briefing for oil marketing companies.
Mr Kamau later confirmed that the full implementation would begin by the end of the month.
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