East Africa states should prioritise border post infrastructure improvement for faster movement of gods and people. This is according to the East Africa Business Council (EABC).
The Council’s chief executive Peter Mutuku Mathuki said poor infrastructure continues to be a huge trade barrier in the region and a major constraint to integration and development even as cross border business rebounds.
Mr. Mutuku suggested construction of a four-lane road to ease cargo clearance during his visit on Busia One-Stop Border Post (OSBP). Nearly 1,000 trucks were moving goods through the border on weekdays with the number increasing to 2,000 trucks on weekends.
“Insufficient parking space for cargo trucks along the northern transport corridor trunk routes still pauses a safety challenge for the traders and border communities,” said Mr. Mathuki.
Cargo scanners
The council has further urged revenue authorities to install cargo scanners at border points to facilitate trade. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the East Africa region is projected to recover to 3.7% in the baseline scenario and 2.8% in the worst-case scenario this year, under the assumption that COVID-19 would be contained in the short-to-medium term.
In October last year, truck traffic snarl-up to the Busia border exceeded 15 kilometres, disrupting cross-border trade and escalating the cost of doing business. This saw EABC call for mutual recognition of Covid-19 tests across the region.
