Integration News
EAC integration permeates into people’s businesses and cultural bonding
T
he labouring engine of the heavy commercial truck slows down as it nears the borderline of Gatuna, Rwanda’s border post with Uganda, but continues to exude a dull explosive sound. It joins other trucks in the queue. It is joined by others. The pungent smoke they all produce twirls indolently into and consumed in the verdant wooden hills and the tea growing valleys that surround Gatuna border post.
other people living and working in Rwanda have to say about the integration process.
People from different EAC countries, professions and occupations have come to embrace and even advocate for deeper integration after experiencing the different benefits and spotting opportunities in the EAC-traders, transporters, professionals, investors and a plethora of other categories; albeit at different levels. The activities As the trucks’ chugging continues, during the week involved parked, their drivers go to interaction with the media and the Immigration and Rwanda the public, breakfast meeting with Revenue Authority offices to have the business community, public some of their papers processed lecture at Universities, field visits and stamped; in about 45 minutes to assess implementation of EAC they will continue with their projects and programmes. journey. This Gatuna Border Post now operates 24/7; Rusumo We do experience the changes for 16 hours; and Nemba, 18 Yusuf Oadara, a Ugandan truck hours. The reduction of red-tape driver plying the Mombasaand the harrowing paperwork Malaba-Gatuna-Kigali route, says at border posts are some of the their occupation has been made many benefits that have come to a lot easier with the removal of symbolize and be embraced as a certain requirements. “First of all, result of Rwanda joining the East unlike before, the Gatuna border African Community (EAC) seven post is open 24 hours. The cargoyears ago. dwelling time at the border has drastically reduced as long as one Marking the EAC Week has the necessary documents. My Therefore, as Rwanda marked client employs clearing agents the 5th EAC Week, 17th-21st who process the transaction November, under the theme; “EAC documents long before the truck Regional Integration: Benefits & leaves the country where goods Opportunities,” it is important to have been obtained. At the border, reflect on whether the principles the only requirements are the of EAC of promoting a people- documents of origin which eases centered and market-driven work. I used to transport goods cooperation are translating into outside the East African region, reality and what Rwandans and but when I got to learn of the
www.mineac.gov.rw
changes, I started doing most of my work within the EAC territory,” enthuses Oadara before he adds; “Integration has been lifted from politicians’ boardrooms and media platforms and lowered into our businesses and interactions.” Such changes have permeated through to other border posts in almost equal measure but in more ways as Ezekiel Runne Mbafu, a cargo transporter for twenty years testifies. “I use the Rusumo border post more frequently. Eight years ago, the goods would be offloaded on either side of the border for verification. Our clients had to incur costs of loading and offloading, and then hustle with clearance from one border point and shudder in anticipation of doing the same on crossing to the other side of the border. Sometimes it could take a week to be cleared from all the border points,” recalls Ezekiel before he fast forwards into the present. “Today I spend less than an hour at Rusumo border post. Gone are the days where trucks would queue for several days awaiting clearance.” Mbafu says the establishment of the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) has partly provided this seamless flow of goods from one country to another. “When a truck is leaving Rwanda, it is cleared on the Uganda side of the border at the OSBP, just as the trucks entering Rwanda are cleared on the OSBP of Rwanda. There is no duplication July-Dec 2014
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