Shared EAC border posts under scrutiny

Arusha. The performance of unified border operations within the East African Community (EAC) bloc will be reviewed.

A team of officials from the EAC secretariat is on their way to the selected posts to review their performance.

One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) were established in key border areas of the EAC partner states to enhance trade facilitation.

They are also intended to improve cross-border procedures, specifically the unobstructed movement of people.

However, about a decade after being launched, there is a feeling that some of the OSBPs have yet to fully serve the purpose they were set for.

A statement issued by the EAC secretariat said the high-level mission to the border posts will begin on Tuesday next week.

Four of the selected posts are on the borderline of Tanzania with its close neighbours: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. They are Mutukula on the Tanzania/Uganda border, Rusumo (Tanzania/Rwanda), Kobero/Kabanga (Tanzania/Burundi), and Namanga, a busy town on Tanzania’s border with Kenya.

The border sensitization mission starts on April 9th at Nimule/Elegu, a border crossing between Uganda and South Sudan and ends on April 19th at Namanga.

“The mission is aimed at reviewing the performance of the unified border posts in fostering trade and improving cross-border procedures,” the secretariat said.

Besides following up on their performance, the mission will identify areas for improvement and assess the implementation of agreed action plans.

The mission will engage with a host of stakeholders, including officers in charge of the OSBPs, customs, immigration, standards, and port health officers.

Others are representatives of other border agencies, cross-border traders, and local government authorities.

“The EAC Secretariat aims to address challenges and streamline processes at these critical facilities,” the statement said without citing the hurdles.

Similar missions are planned for other OSBPs in the months of June and July 2024, reaffirming the commitment to enhancing awareness and compliance with cross-border procedures.

There are at least 13 fully operationalized OSBPs at key border areas within the EAC, many of them located at the borders of Tanzania and its neighbours.

Business leaders say they have significantly reduced the time taken by travellers and trucks at the borders from days to 30 minutes on average.

OSBPs, the unified border facilities for the two neighbouring countries in the EAC, were erected with the support of TradeMark East Africa (TMEA).

Through unification, the border procedures are consolidated into one for entrance and exit, combining the activities of both countries.

The aim is to reduce transit costs incurred in cross-border movement by combining the border procedures of both countries’ institutions.