13 proposals to EAC on how to ease doing business across borders

During the Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) with Trade Facilitation Agencies at the One-Stop Borders across the East African Community (EAC) Partner States to interrogate if EAC agreements and practices ease doing business across borders, the team came up with a set of recommendations.

The 13 recommendations were made to EAC by EABC-TMEA PPD with Trade Facilitation Agencies at Namanga One Stop Border Post.

The recommendations were expected to help the bloc adhere to the necessary requirements in a bid to improve the ease of doing business in the region.

13 recommendations to EAC

Need to reduce police checks along the routes along Arusha-Namanga – Nairobi route

Need for URT to allow parking cargo trucks at the Border Post (OSBP) than parking at Longido-

Need for URT to consider the process of issuing temporary passports at Namanga (entry points) other than going to the Longido district.

Need for URT/Kenya to facilitate their respective border regulatory agencies to operate a 24hr working schedule at Namanga OSBP (Cargo clearance) –

Need for URT to allocate special area for cross border women (Beads traders) at inside the OSBP-

Need to install weigh bridge at Namanga One Stop Border Post to facilitate transporters

Need to for more awareness on Simplified Trade Regime – To specify Personal vs Business goods, quantities through Sensitization of Cross Border Traders on the Simplified Trade Regime (STR)

Need for harmonization of domestic taxes- Internal taxes

Standards agencies to mutually recognize quality marks from all partner states – KEBS, TBS

Traders to submit evidence on trade barriers to relevant authorities and business associations

Heads of Namanga OSBP to allow temporary passes to trade at Bisil/Longido which is beyond gazetted area distances – Good neighbourlihood

Need for close collaboration between security agencies and cross border traders to avoid closure of the Namanga Highway because of accidents / protests