Work on Malaba customs yard starts
Feb 19, 2009
THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has contracted BCR General to rehabilitate the customs yard at the Malaba border post for sh6b.
By Mikaili Sseppuya
THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has contracted BCR General to rehabilitate the customs yard at the Malaba border post for sh6b.
The sorry state the yard was in caused a lot of confrontations last year between truck drivers and the URA officials. The angry drivers refused to use it and chose to park along the roads as the yard was full of potholes.
It would also turn muddy during the rainy season.
The work will include clearing of the bushy areas, grading, tarmacking and demarcation of the borders between the road and the yard. “The yard needs clearing up because most parts of are bushy.
“Drivers refused to use the yard last year because they feared getting stuck in the muddy and uneven ground,†Paul Kyeyune, the URA spokesperson, said last week.
Crescent Baguma, the BCR director, said they were mobilising resources to start work next week.
“We will start with the urgent works, which can- not wait and later go to the more routine work,†Baguma said
The URA eastern region manager, James Patrick Abodi, said would cater for at least 900 vehicles, twice as many vehicles as the current capacity of between 350 to 400 container trucks and 150 saloon cars.
Abodi, however, explained that since the implementation of the one-stop centre and 24-hour working regime, don’t park for long periods.
“some trucks continue as soon as they are cleared by the customs office.â€
He also said clearing of cargo takes about 30 minutes and because there are up to seven officers working in parallel they can clear a relatively big number of trucks.
THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has contracted BCR General to rehabilitate the customs yard at the Malaba border post for sh6b.
The sorry state the yard was in caused a lot of confrontations last year between truck drivers and the URA officials. The angry drivers refused to use it and chose to park along the roads as the yard was full of potholes.
It would also turn muddy during the rainy season.
The work will include clearing of the bushy areas, grading, tarmacking and demarcation of the borders between the road and the yard. “The yard needs clearing up because most parts of are bushy.
“Drivers refused to use the yard last year because they feared getting stuck in the muddy and uneven ground,†Paul Kyeyune, the URA spokesperson, said last week.
Crescent Baguma, the BCR director, said they were mobilising resources to start work next week.
“We will start with the urgent works, which can- not wait and later go to the more routine work,†Baguma said
The URA eastern region manager, James Patrick Abodi, said would cater for at least 900 vehicles, twice as many vehicles as the current capacity of between 350 to 400 container trucks and 150 saloon cars.
Abodi, however, explained that since the implementation of the one-stop centre and 24-hour working regime, don’t park for long periods.
“some trucks continue as soon as they are cleared by the customs office.â€
He also said clearing of cargo takes about 30 minutes and because there are up to seven officers working in parallel they can clear a relatively big number of trucks.