Uganda gets sh42b for border post upgrades

By Patrick Jaramogi

Clearance of goods at the border posts will be shortened from days to just hours following a boost of $15m (sh42b) for border post infrastructural development.

Feasibility studies for the boarder post upgrades are ready awaiting construction works early next year, Amelia Kyambadde the Trade and Industry minister said Wednesday.

The posts to be upgraded include: Busia in eastern Uganda, Mutukula and Mirama hills in South Western Uganda. The funds for the upgrade of the posts into a one stop border post (OSBP) was provided by Trademark East Africa.

Memorandum

The minister made the remarks during signing of a memorandum of understanding between Government of Uganda and Trademark East Africa at the ministry's boardroom in Kampala.

‘We appreciate the support from TradeMark East Africa. The support will enable easy and efficient clearance of goods and persons. It will save time and money,” Kyambadde said.

Kyambadde said the upgrade of the border posts would curb smuggling increasing government revenue. “The cost of doing business is high because you end up bribing everybody along the way. This new system will streamline the activities at the border posts and cut costs and time,” she said.

Annette Mutaawe, the Trademark East Africa Uganda country director, said both incoming and outgoing goods will be cleared under one roof.

“There is no point of clearing goods leaving Uganda from the Ugandan side. These will be cleared from the Kenyan side while those entering Uganda from Kenya will be cleared from Ugandan side,” explained Mutaawe.

A similar concept that kicked off in 2009 is already being used at the Malaba border post.

Technological aid

Mutaawe said URA customs and UNBS officials will be based at one point of the border to ease clearance of goods and services.

“The system will use electronic single windows allowing importers and exporters to get their trade details online at the click of a mouse,” said Mutaawe. She said the OSBP idea involves joint verification of cargo.

She said once the Mutukula, Mirama Hill and Busia upgrades are complete in 2013, similar works will start for the Nimule border post in West Nile.

Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner General Allen Kagina said the expansion of the system to incorporate Busia, Mirama Hills and Mutukula follows its success at the World Bank funded Malaba border post.

Similar border upgrades currently on-going at Namanga border posts at the Kenya -Tanzania border and in Rusomo at the Rwanda -Tanzania border are aimed at enhanced regional transport and trade facilitation.

Feasibility studies

Feasibility studies have also been completed on the OSBPs that would be constructed at Holili/Taveta, Horohoro/ Lunganga, Mutukula, Kigoma, and Busia, Malaba and at the main border station between Burundi and Rwanda.

Japan is also supporting the EAC in preparing legal, institutional and operational frameworks for the OSBPs and integrated border management. This will, among other things, lead to development of EAC OSBP Act and OSBP operational model.

Already training is underway for experts from the five partner states - Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda, including the use of ICT systems on how to operationalise the posts once complete.