Improving Trade Facilitation within the East African Community-Draft Report

One of the biggest challenges facing EAC businesses is inefficient trade facilitation systems covering transport logistics, administrative entry and exit procedures, processes, operations and transit regulations. EAC businesses are concerned about these inefficiently managed systems due to time taken to complete a trade transaction, and the attendant costs directly related to administrative processes during movement of goods within the domestic markets and across the borders. Key trade facilitation issues of concern include at-the-border processes and behind-the-border processes.

The Report is produced in the context of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s efforts to provide technical assistance to improve trade flows into and from the EAC member states. As per the Terms of Reference, there were two main activities to be undertaken: (i) a baseline review of all ongoing Trade Facilitation projects in the EAC Commonwealth member countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda), and (ii) benchmarking of the EAC Trade facilitation processes with competing as well as with best performing economies.

The inventory of ongoing Trade Facilitation projects in the EAC Commonwealth member countries has used various sources, including the EAC trade-related protocols, donor websites, COMESA Secretariat (regarding programmes that are also relevant to EAC as a region), and presentations made at the regional workshop organised by COMSEC and EABC titled “Improving Trade Flows in and from East African Community: Overcoming Logistic Challenges”, held in Dar es Salaam between 13-15 July 2010. The workshop brought together representatives of various public and private sector trade-related organizations, as well as different development partners, to discuss a wide range of trade facilitation issues, including ongoing EAC and international trade facilitation initiatives and an action plan to address current gaps and bottlenecks.

Attached is the draft report