East African countries have worked hard to improve the efficiency of border posts to ease the burden on trade by reducing high transactional costs and delays.
As a region it has made massive inroads with more than 10 one-stop border posts operational and the infrastructure for at least five more already completed.
“As a region there is a lot more harmonisation in terms of processes, standards and regulation than in the rest of Africa,” says Mike Fitzmaurice, executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta).
“There is also political will and real commitment from countries to improve border operations and to work together.”While the situation is by no means perfect and challenges do exist, border crossing times have consistently been improving at the one-stop border posts in the region over the past few years.“For many of the countries the target was a 30% reduction in crossing time, but we have seen times reduced by as much as 80%,” said Fitzmaurice. He said some of the gains achieved had been due to the implementation of a single customs territory with duties for goods paid on arrival at a port and then moved without stop to the final destination.
“There is also the option of a regional bond that is purchased upfront, again resulting in goods moving from origin right through to the final destination without bonds having to be purchased in each country through which they move.”He said the system of one cross-border payment – a road user charge of $152 – had also resulted in a more f luid system.
“Unlike in many other regions where transit permits and insurances have to be paid for or purchased in each country, in East Africa these are bought in the country of origin and then the goods move.”According to Fitzmaurice, where it could take up to four days to cross through a border post, in East Africa the introduction of one-stop borders has seen this reduced to anything between six and 18 hours.Previously border posts could often only accommodate two or three trucks at a time resulting in long delays and increased costs. Fitzmaurice said one stop posts had introduced efficiency across the region.
