The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has embarked on a programme to train clearing and forwarding agents on the Single Custom Territory (SCT) of the East African Community (EAC).

The Arusha TRA regional manager, Aminiel Malisa, said the agents would be trained on skills that would help them know how they can operate under the new SCT arrangement.

He said this would increase their efficiency, boost both government and clearing agents’ revenues as well as ease their tasks.

As an example, Malisa said, a clearing agent based at Tunduma’s Tanzania-Zambia border could clear cargo or transport that of his/her customer through Mombasa Port, while he/she is at the Tunduma border, explaining:

“Right now documents of releasing/receiving cargo will be processed once at the country’s entry point and its destination; only being required to get the exit note.”

“We will not work on other papers as everything will be seen from online systems of responsible revenue authorities,” he said.

The training facilitator, Isaac Marandu, said in an effort to ease the clearing agents’ work they will be given a password for accessing the system.
This would assist them to process cargo and settle payments using an online system known as Tanzania Customs Integrated System (TANCIS).

Marandu said the SCT would provide room for EAC clearing agents to easily access the system as they would be given a password.

“This system will reduce the long process as goods destined for another member state would be cleared at the point of entry in another member state,” he added.

The TRA Deputy Assistant Education Officer, Sigismund Kafuru, said implementation of the new system is among EAC missions of increasing efficiency, revenue collection and easing importation of goods, apart from transporting cargo in member countries. He added that it would also increase clearing agents’ revenue.

A participant of the training, Jackson Kalunda, commended the new system saying it is beneficial. He said it will reduce paperwork, bureaucracy and other non-tariff barriers. These consume a lot of time and increase the cost of trade in the region, he complained.

An SCT is described as a stage towards fulfilment of the East African Customs Union. He said this would be achieved through removal of restrictive regulations and/or minimising internal border controls on goods moving between Partner States. The ultimate goal being realisation of free trade among them, he added.

Source: IPP Media

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