Contractors have completed and handed over the Malaba one-stop border post to be shared by Kenya and Uganda, paving the way for its commissioning to improve trade flow between the countries and the Great Lakes region.

The Works ministry in Uganda handed over the facility to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), raising hope for faster clearance of cargo.

“Innovations have reduced the time needed to travel from Mombasa to Uganda. Initially, it required 18 days, which have since reduced to less than five days. The OSBPs (one-stop border posts) would dramatically reduce clearance time,” Richard Kamajugo, Commissioner for Customs said.

The one-stop border post concept is aimed at harmonising transit clearance, with two officers from bordering countries sitting under one roof to handle transit documents concurrently to save time.

Currently, traders in the region are hampered by strenuous customs clearance procedures in which goods are separately inspected by officers on either side of the border leading to massive delays.

The special border posts will include Taveta-Holili border and the Namanga border (Kenya-Tanzania), Busia and Malaba borders (Kenya —Uganda) and the Kanyaru-Akanyaru border (Burundi-Rwanda).

Others are the Mutukula border (Tanzania-Uganda), Gasenyi-Nemba border (Burundi-Rwanda) and Lungalunga-Horohoro border (Kenya – Tanzania)Analysts said the harmonisation of customs clearance on common borders would help to cut back on processing time and substantially reduce the cost of doing business.

It also helps to fight graft because impatient truckers and traders resort to offering bribes either to jump queues or expedite cargo clearance.

Source: Business Daily

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