Transit Corridor Efficiency

The Regional Opportunity

Africa contributes only 3 per cent of the value of goods traded globally[1] with the high cost of transport cited as one of the key barriers to trade. Donor supported work to reduce the cost and time to move goods across borders in East and Central Africa has predominantly focused on national improvements to address the poor condition of physical transport infrastructure (ports, roads, railways, border posts); poor transit facilitation; limited access and use of technology; and limited use of comprehensive transport logistics solutions.  The result has been regionally fragmented systems are unfortunately unable to share information effectively.  With deepening regional economic integration in the East and Southern Africa region, member countries need to rise above national interests to address constraints and challenges that are increasingly cross-border or regional in character.

COMPETE’s Strategic Approach

• Technical assistance to Community Based System, Single Window System and the Committee on Customs Procedures and the Committee on Valuation in the East African Community (EAC)
• Training and sensitization of stakeholders at EAC borders
• Inter-agency Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)
• Border agencies’ service charters
• Enhance the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in transit trade through the Revenue Authorities Digital Data Exchange(RADDEx) and the LIV-Trade transit and logistics information system
• Capacity building of key regional transit-related trade association
• Enhanced private sector compliance to trade regulations e.g. Codes of Conduct
• Harmonization of customs procedures,
• Harmonized transit facilitation instruments

 

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