[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="BACKGROUND" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:left"][vc_column_text]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 quality, safety and efficacy of food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices. Amongst its achievements, TFDA has developed robust systems and put in place guidelines for registration of products, inspection and surveillance as well as laboratory analysis of product samples prior to market authorization. This case study focuses on the improvements that Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA) has made in enhancing trade in Tanzania through the automation of their key trade process with support from TMA. The TMA support towards automation of key trade process at TFDA began in 2012 at a tune US $ 285,000 and is expected to end in 2017. The automated system at TFDA serves its stakeholders in registration, regulation and monitoring of food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices and premises in Tanzania. The expected outcome of the TMA intervention at TFDA was to increase efficiency through time and cost saving for TFDA and its stakeholders as the portal eliminates the need for physical presence of customers at TFDA offices, promotes transparency and accountability by TFDA and its customers which in the long run enhance and promotes trade.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="THE ISSUE" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:left"][vc_column_text]The method of services deliver at TFDA to its stakeholders needed...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="BACKGROUND" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:center"][vc_column_text]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 Analysis, and conduct inspection and certification. RALIS also delivers animal product's certification services including enforcement of sanitary laws, monitoring and surveillance of animal diseases, and animal inspection and certification. This case study shows how the TMA support to RALIS has been used to automate the systems and processes used to regulate and facilitate businesses in Rwanda by reducing the time and cost spent when acquiring import and export permits. The RALIS SWIFT project was implemented at an estimated budget of US$ 124,000 and the projected started in 2011 and is expected to be ending in 2017 with the main implementing partner being TMA. The e-portal targeted importers and exporters of plant, plant materials, animal and animal product's, and agrichemicals in Rwanda.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="THE ISSUE" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:center"][vc_column_text]Before the automation of the systems and process at RALIS, the old system was bureaucratic and not effective and efficient in serving the stakeholders and the general public because it was relatively slow in the process of applications and giving feedback, a lot of signatures were required and too much paper work was involved. All this in the long run were contributing to increasing the cost and time of doing business...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="BACKGROUND" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:center"][vc_column_text]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 with a National Office and County Chamber’s offices in all the 47 counties in Kenya. The core purpose of KNCCI is to promote, protect and develop commercial, industrial and investments interests of its members and the entire business community both locally and internationally. The KNCCI SWIFT project was implemented at an average budget of US$ 120,000 and the project started in 2014 and is expected to be ending in 2017 with the main implementing partner being TMA. The project targeted beneficiary members of KNCCI who constitute of the small, micro enterprises (MSEs), medium and large enterprises and the expected outcomes of this initiative were to provide support in implementation of an automated system focusing on Trade Facilitation Process and Business Development Process. Molo Greens Limited located in Molo town in Kenya is one of the companies that was identified in this case study using the KNCCI automated system. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="THE ISSUE" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:center"][vc_column_text]The KNCCI stakeholders highlighted that they were facing challenges in accessing manual certificate of origin which was also causing unnecessary delays and also increasing the cost of doing business. The companies that were involved in exporting had to regularly prepare and submit...

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 a Tripartite online system (http://tradebarriers.org/), these rely on sufficient awareness raising and ensuring they can be understood in appropriate local languages. TMA supported advocacy efforts have increased the number of both formal and informal traders being aware of the existence of NMCs and phone numbers of NMC representatives. The following examples were recounted in interviews: On one occasion, a woman trader had been stopped at the Rwanda border asking her to pay a bond in order to take cultural goods to an exhibition in Rwanda. Having received an SMS text, the Tanzania NMC coordinator was able to call back the woman trader (saving her airtime) and reassure her that the money going into the bond was only a tax guarantee in case she sold any goods, and if she does not, the bond would be given back to her when crossing the border back to Tanzania. The following morning, the woman trader paid the bond and successfully crossed the border to attend the exhibition. On another occasion, an NMC member supported a Ugandan trader wishing to attend an East African trade fair in Tanzania to enter the country at the Mutukula border. The Tanzania Revenue...

Context: The Republic of Rwanda acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18th June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from 1st July 2007. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a central engine to driving Rwanda’s transformation to a knowledge-based economy, a fact Rwanda has acknowledged by allocating a budget to ICT as a percentage of its GDP that is at par with OECD countries. Rwanda continues to be one of the fastest-growing African countries in ICT and there are several avenues for growth for the ICT sector from e-commerce and e-services, mobile technologies, applications development and automation to becoming a regional center for the training of top quality ICT professionals and research as a robust ICT industry can create wealth, jobs and entrepreneurs. Rwanda is the most improved economy worldwide since 2005 (World Bank Doing Business Report, 2014). The report further reflects Rwanda the 2nd easiest to do business in Africa after Mauritius. Business environment reforms focusing on trade facilitation endeavor to reduce the cost associated with importing and exporting products. Many factors affect the cost of trade, including poor infrastructure, slow and cumbersome border regulatory and operating processes and non-tariff measures. Reforms targeted to these factors vary depending on the local contexts and problems yet overall they broadly seek to achieve more efficient, transparent, predictable and rule-based import and export processes. Reforms may include new or upgraded trade-related infrastructure, such as roads, ports and border posts; reviewing and (re)drafting the policies, laws and regulations governing...