INCREASED EFFICIENCY: TMA provided techincal and financial support to construct the Busia border crossing into a One Stop Border Post

TradeMark Africa (TMA) is a multi-donor funded aid for trade agency established as a company limited by Guarantee, to support the growth of trade – both regional and international- in East Africa. Amelia Kyambadde,  Uganda’s Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister explains how TMA has been supporting Uganda’s efforts to trade better.
The Minister is quick to acknowledge the role TMA has played in making Uganda’s main frontier posts more efficient and on a wider scale helping the East African Community (EAC) member states achieve a faster flow of goods and people across common borders.
She says, ”One important issue we have embarked on, especially in the five years or so, is the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs). In the past we used to have a very poor system for identifying NTBs. We would have big boxes like coffins stationed at borders or shops; so we would tell people to put in their comments on how their businesses are running or the challenges they are having.
“But now we have done away with all that, we have an NTB mechanism with the support of TradeMark Africa (TMA) which has been very effective, “ she says.
Mrs Kyambadde says, “You just use your phone. If for example, you have a challenge at a weighbridge, just press star *201 asterisk (*201#) and
aform comes up.
“It asks you whether you have a customs issue or immigration or bribery or police, then you fill in your challenge. It’s across all networks and has been adopted by Kenya. So you can monitor your consignment and we are able to help you.Weighbridges have been reduced. There used to be so many. For customs; there is electronic tracking instead of stopping and removing all the things to check.  It now takes six days from Mombasa to here which used to be almost 20 days,” she says.
TMA has been involved with improving efficiency at Uganda’s frontiers with the implementation of the One Stop Border Posts (OSBP).
With support from TMA, the Ministry established a National Committee on the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers, and a Unit at the Ministry to focus on the elimination of NTBs.
The government has been working with TMA to construct four OSBPs at Busia, Mutukula, Mirama Hills and Elegu to ease movement and enhance trade in the region. These have been completed or are in th final stages of being fully operational. This means a 24-hour operation at the borders such as Malaba, Busia and Entebbe airport.  Clearance time for cargo has been reduced from three days to just 18 hours.
The Minister says setting up OSBPs has  helped to realise several positive knock-on effects.
“Once again, TMA is one of our partners supporting us. Instead of you moving from customs then to the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, immigration, you now find one post has been created where you are able to handle all these issues in a short time.”
Moses Sabiiti, TMA Uganda Country Director says,  “TMA, with the support of DFID, DANIDA, SIDA and the Embassy of Netherlands, is privileged to work with the Ministry of Trade to implement initiatives that facilitate trade and reduce poverty.”
The Minister said, “The Electronic Single Window, which is TMA’s contribution to the Ministry, is a trade facilitation tool that expedites clearance of goods.
“Instead of opening your cargo, checking and counting everything, it is now electronically monitored. This allows URA to know what you are carrying.” she says.
The agencies that are to be connected to the Electronic Single Window before the end of this year are: Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Uganda Coffee Development Agency, National Drugs Authority, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and Ministry of Agriculture..
The Minister says the government has also encouraged crossborder traders to form associations, because in the past, people used to go it alone.
“They would take two bags of maize. So we said, if you are all maize dealers, form an  association so that if you are 30, you take 60 bags as an association and trade as one. This has also proved very successful.
Source: Business Week

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.