Delegates at the event while unveiling a revamped Single Customs Territory (SCT) Centralised Platform

The establishment of over 15 One-Stop Border Posts in East African Community (EAC) has generated annual savings of more than $63 million and reduced border crossing times by 70 percent, said Veronica Nduva, EAC Secretary General.

She noted that the physical and digital infrastructure put in place over the years have efficiently maximized the time and cost of cross-border trade, hence, driving regional integration and deepening trade.

ALSO READ: How one stop border posts have reduced cost of trade

This was highlighted at the unveiling of a revamped Single Customs Territory (SCT) Centralised Platform, a tool designed to facilitate the seamless exchange of customs and trade data in real-time among interconnected partner states’ customs and port authorities, on January 27.

Veronica Nduva, EAC Secretary General speaks during the event while unveiling a revamped Single Customs Territory (SCT) Centralised Platform. Courtesy

Held at the EAC Secretariat Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, it was in line with the celebration of the International Customs Day, themed “Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security, and Prosperity.”

“The Centralised Platform is a critical component of the SCT framework. By enabling real-time sharing of customs information, this platform augments regional efforts to address challenges such as delays in customs clearance, non-tariff barriers, high transaction costs, and inefficiencies in cross-border trade,” said Nduva.

“By automating the critical customs and trade facilitation processes, these interventions, including the Centralised Platform, ensure faster and more efficient clearance of goods, particularly for traders who meet compliance standards,” said Erick Sirali, the Director for Digital Trade at TradeMark Africa.

These efforts, he added, significantly reduce delays, enhance transparency, and support the smooth movement of goods across the region, ultimately benefiting the ordinary East African citizen.

The Single Customs Territory was established in 2014 to simplify, automate and speed up the movement of goods across the EAC, and the Centralised Platform was first implemented in 2017, and has evolved through advanced versions to support transactions related to intra-regional trade, exports from the region to global markets, transit goods, and the issuance of certificates of origin.

ALSO READ: How single customs territory has cut bureaucracy in EAC trade

In 2023, the platform was upgraded to its second version, incorporating maritime trade—which had previously relied on a bilateral integration model—alongside features for managing Regional Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) and regional clearing agents for mutual recognition.

In 2024, it saw the introduction of scanner image sharing between Partner States, enhancing transparency and efficiency in customs processes. It was first implemented between Kenya and Uganda.

Besides the Centralised Platform, Nduva said other initiatives both in the physical infrastructure and digital trade spheres, have positively impacted the time and cost of cross-border trade.

“For instance, the establishment of over 15 One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) has led to a 70% reduction in border crossing times and generated annual savings of over $63 million,” she noted, adding that 274 non-tariff barriers (NTBs) have also been resolved since 2007.

Equally, the NTB App was introduced to simplify the reporting of NTBs and platforms such as the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) provide all-round real-time monitoring of goods in transit from the Port of Mombasa to the destination, reducing cargo diversion, minimising transit delays, and enhancing cargo security.

Currently, the customs systems of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi are interconnected through the Centralised Platform, in addition to Kenya’s and Tanzania ports authorities’ connectedness to the platform.

The officials said that plans to integrate other Partner States as well as other key agencies involved in clearance of goods into the platform are underway

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.