This archive report was first published on 11 May 2021.
On May 11, 2021, East Africa Community Secretary General Peter Mathuki led a high-powered delegation from Kenya and Tanzania on an impromptu visit to the Namanga One Stop Border post.
During the visit, Mathuki emphasized the importance of harmonizing business standards across East Africa to boost intra-regional trade.
He noted that there were still some Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) at the border entry, which were causing slow business flow, and called for a harmonized standard of business between Kenya and Tanzania, particularly on taxes.
Mathuki also highlighted the need for the harmonization of taxes and charges across the region, reduction of weigh bridge costs, and punitive fines imposed across borders.
He stated that intra-trade within EAC stagnantly stands at 15 percent currently, projecting a triple-digit growth in the next five years to 45 percent.
Mathuki also noted that the lukewarm relationship between neighboring countries, especially from the onset of maize importation ban, has reduced imports and exports to Kenya and vice versa.
He emphasized that small and medium enterprises have borne the brunt of strained relationships in the past, resulting in illegal goods being transported through clandestine routes.
Mathuki said EAC is pushing for free movement of goods within EA to reduce the cost of doing business, with hope that SMEs will either import or export goods following the right channels.
He also announced that EAC Secretariat is set to avail a trade hotline providing cross-border traders with a platform to register their challenges and get prompt feedback, across all EAC border posts.
Tanzania Ambassador to Kenya, John Stephen Simbachawene, echoed similar sentiments, encouraging traders to seize the opportunity of good relationship brokered by President Kenyatta and his Tanzania counterpart Samia Suluhu recently.
The visit comes two days after the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary visited Namanga and ordered Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to stop registering maize already registered by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KPHIS) to avoid unnecessary cross-border crisis.
