The
scheme will first be rolled out as a pilot phase before it can be fully
adopted. The development follows bilateral talks held last month
between Rwanda and Tanzania to address the current constraints affecting
traders at the port, including the question of cash deposits.
Fred
Seka, the chairperson, Rwanda Freight Forwarders Association (ADR),
said both parties agreed to use an insurance guarantee covered by UAP
Insurance to facilitate ease of doing business at the port.
According
to Seka, Tanzania Shipping line Ltd accepted the proposed use of
Insurance guarantee by UAP and will conduct due diligence to determine
clearing agents to be granted the waiver and those that should use
insurance guarantee.
“Tanzania
Revenue Authority (TRA) has so far granted full access to TANCIS
customs system to 30 clearing firms out of the 54 companies that
requested to have access to the system; The TPA is working to issue the
okayed firms badges and forward the list to Tanzania Ports Authority so
that they can have full access to the port and be able to follow up
clearance of goods within the port premises,” Seka said in a statement
released yesterday.
He
also denied media reports indicating that local clearing agents want to
replace clearing agents from Tanzania at the port. “We are only coming
to deal with Rwandan cargo and not to take Tanzanian jobs,” he said
adding that the agents are equally seeking for strong partnerships with
their counterparts in Tanzania to further facilitate the ease of doing
business along the central corridor.
The
two sides further discussed a number of constraints including the high
container deposits required by the shipping lines, and non recognition
of Rwanda Standards Board’s (RSB) standard mark by Tanzania Food and
Drug Authority (TFDA), and agreed to follow up on implementation of
commitments by Tanzania Revenue Authority to facilitate and authorise
Rwanda Freight Forwarders to lodge documents into their customs system.
Vincent
Safari, the national coordinator, Rwanda National Monitoring Committee
on NTBs, at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, reassured that Rwandans
will only go to clear cargo belonging to Rwandans and urged both parties
to ensure strong business ties to facilitate regional trade.
“It
is out of fear that allowing Rwandans full access to ports will
translate into loss of business on the Tanzania side, which is not
true,” he said, adding that there is need to understand the scope of the
single customs territory which is designed to ease regional trade.
Recently, Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) announced it will open a
liaison office in Kigali next month.
The
country office means that importers, clearing agents and exporters will
be able to clear goods from Kigali without having to travel to Dar es
Salaam. Eng Deusdedit Kakoko, the TPA director general, said in an
interview with The New Times last week that the move aims at bringing
services nearer to the Rwandan business community, “which will help cut
the cost of doing business, and reduce the hurdles within the logistics
and supply chain.”
Rwanda-TZ
trade numbers Tanzania’s Port of Dar es Salaam is by far the most
important port for Rwanda, accounting for over 70 per cent of Rwandan
international maritime trade.
More
than 90 per cent of other exports (apart from tea and coffee) go
through Dar es Salaam, according to figures from the Ministry of Trade
and Industry. However, statistics indicate that total trade with
Tanzania declined to $68 million in 2015, from $105 million in 2013.
Tanzania is Rwanda’s third largest trading partner in the EAC bloc.
Source: Dailynews
Source: Dailynews
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