Expediting the processing of certificates of origin through implementation of an automated system at The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
BACKGROUND This case study highlights how Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) a membership-based trade support institution has benefited from the TMA SWIFT projects initiatives. The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry is registered as a not-for-profit private company limited by guarantee under the Companies Act Chapter 486 of the laws of Kenya […]
Reduction in the cost and time of doing business through the automation of the systems and processes at Rwanda Agricultural Livestock Inspection and Certification Services (RALIS)
BACKGROUND Rwanda Agricultural Livestock Inspection and Certification Services (RALIS) a directorate under the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) is a public institution responsible for the overall coordination of: the enforcement of the Rwanda plant health law and regulations for phytosanitary measures necessary for trade, Plant pest/disease monitoring, surveillance and diagnosis, conducting Pest Risk […]
Contributing to an Enhanced Trade Environment through Automation of Key Trade Processes at Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA)
BACKGROUND TFDA began its operations as a regulatory body on 1st July 2003 and is mandated to regulate the quality, safety and efficacy of food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices which is provided for under the Tanzania Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Cap 219. Since its inception, TFDA has attained notable achievements in regulating the […]
Electronic Single Window Business Models
The first Electronic Single Window (eSW) was introduced in Singapore in the late 1980’s. The Singapore TradeNet links multiple parties involved in external trade, including 34 government agencies, to a single point of transaction for most trade related transaction such as Customs clearance and payment of duties and taxes, processing of export and import permits […]
Can improved trade facilitation help tackle poverty?
Despite the benefits that trade facilitation initiatives such as the introduction of an eSW may yield for a wide range of stakeholders including clearing agents, importers and exporters and government agencies, like most trade reforms, the links between these types of investments and poverty reduction are not so clearly defined. A recent study (Shepherd, 2014) […]
Enhancing delivery of export adviser service – The Case of Export Advisers in Rwanda
1 BACKGROUND African countries are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of developing trade capacity in order to achieve effective participation in the regional and world trading system and to reap the full benefits of improved access to these markets (World Bank). There is wide recognition that capacity building and training are prerequisites to economic […]
The EAC Elimination of NTB Act – A review of landmark legislation
The NTB Act aims to give effect to the second clause under Article 13 of the Customs Union, by establishing a legal mechanism for identifying and monitoring the removal of NTBs. The NTB Act provides as follows: According to interviews, the NTB Act, whose development was supported by TMA, is generally well regarded by NMC […]
Rules of Origin – Challenges in resolving NTBs
The purpose of the EAC Rules of Origin is to implement the provisions of Article 14 of the Customs Union Protocol – setting out criteria for distinguishing between goods produced within the EAC and, therefore, eligible for EAC preferential treatment against those produced outside the EAC customs territory that attract duties specified in the CET […]
The SMS reporting system impacting informal traders, including women
Africa is at the centre of a mobile technology revolution which is already benefiting traditionally disadvantaged groups. According to interviews, SMS appears to be the most preferred means for informal traders to report NTBs. Although there exists online NTB reporting systems at the national level in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania utilizing SMS, as well as […]
“Growing for (and with) the Business” by Susan Mukankubana
I was appointed as the managing director of Top Freight before I ever worked in the freight forwarding business or received any training in this business. I had no knowledge of clearing and forwarding, I had just completed my bachelor’s in marketing. We had few clients. I did not know how to advise them well […]