KIGALI, Rwanda: June 25 (Xinhua) — A delegation of Uganda government officials Monday met their counterparts in Kigali Rwanda to discuss ways of eliminating trade barriers between the two countries.
“We need to collaborate bilaterally as sister countries to remove the trade barriers for the benefit of our countries” Kassim Omar, a Ugandan official revealed to Xinhua in Rwanda.
“It’s horrible why would trucks be weighed several times within the same country. I was a truck driver, I have experienced this in Kenya and Uganda, we should implement what we agreed instead of sitting and enjoying them in these meeting,” he adds.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of trade and industry of Rwanda, Emanuel Hategeka described the trade barriers as challenges that could hinder the regional integration.
“If we do not align our trade practices with the EAC Treaty and the Protocols, we stand the danger of losing the benefits of integration.” He asserted.
“The traditional problems of inefficient port procedures, cumbersome customs and other administrative requirements, police checks at road blocks, and multiple weighing of trucks still remain.
We should take this assessment as a basis for a deep examination of the contribution we can make to improve the situation,” he said.
Traders in two countries face different barriers including corruption, police roadblocks and weighbridges which economically hamper their businesses in the region. Other challenges hampering the regional business communities are poor infrastructures, corruption among the officials. (Xinhua)
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