Residents of the Gatuna area along the Rwanda-Uganda border say they are reaping from the regional integration agenda but wish to see a few other important services, including establishment of a modern cross-border market.

Traders in the area made the request to a team of Rwandan members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on Wednesday as the latter visited the area as part of their third round of sensitisation and outreach programme in the country.

Jeanne Bayera, an advisor to cooperatives in the area, told the EALA team led by MP Patricia Hajabakiga, Chairperson of Rwanda’s EALA chapter, that government in the past promised to establish a modern market in the area but this has not happened yet.

"The lack of a properly organised market is a setback. I think the nearest market is located nearly 40 kilometres away. As lawmakers, you could help us know how far this plan is,’’ she said.

She added: ‘‘At times people here cross border to go to the market on the other side (Uganda) but it is tiring since there are usually long lines on market days, in addition to the regular bus passengers, at the border.”

Presently, people in the area only have to depend on the market in Gicumbi town or cross over to Uganda.

A selling point set up about three years ago by government with support from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) bloc remains unoccupied. Traders say it is in poor condition, especially as it leaks, and thus not fit for use.

The lack of a proper market, it was observed, leads to complications as dishonest people take advantage to smuggle goods.

A Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) officer highlighted scenarios whereby such individuals send out numerous people to the other side of the border to purchase few commodities, such as rice or crates of soft drinks, without paying tax under the pretext that the commodities are for home consumption yet they are looking to sell them for profit in Rwanda.

A modern cross-border market, it was agreed, would check such tendencies.

There was applause from the group of nearly 20 traders when Hajabakiga promised that: "We are going to do our best to help you get a market. We will remind the people in charge to make it happen.”

The EALA lawmakers also urged the traders to halt bribery and all other corrupt tendencies.

According to Bayera, it would also be important to have information desks at the border to help people have relevant trade and travel information, seeing that people often encounter problems because they are not well informed.

A case in point was the lack of awareness on the importance of yellow fever certificates.

Construction works are underway to set up a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) facility which is expected to improve trade as is already the case at several other main cross-border points in the East African Community (EAC).

Jackson Rukundo, the Gatuna border manager, told the lawmakers that, among other things, challenges include the fact that they are not able to operate under one roof with their Ugandan counterparts. With the ongoing construction works, however, he is optimistic that everything will move smoothly sooner than later.

The sensitisation by EALA is themed "EAC integration agenda: accessing the gains,” and is targeting youth groups, representatives of the business community, and local government authorities, among others.

During their tours, EALA MPs in all the partner states also seek to keep the citizens of the Community informed about the role of the regional assembly in the integration process and to enhance interaction between the private sector and the civil society.

Benefits acknowledged

Among the benefits of integration registered by locals, Aliane Akingeneye, a Gatuna Cross Border Trade Cooperative (GCBTC) member, told the lawmakers that the use of national identity cards as travel documents across the border made life easy.

Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda agreed to allow their citizens move freely across their borders using national identity cards as travel documents.

"Another important development was the introduction of certificates of origin. In the past, we would buy merchandise without knowing what is tax exempted and we made losses. But now, with the issuance of these certificates, wholesalers go to Uganda knowing exactly what they need to buy.”

Samuel Gato, another GCBTC member, said "the benefits from the EAC integration are numerous and we cannot list all, the situation is certainly better that before.”

Yesterday, the lawmakers visited the Nemba OSBP on the Rwanda-Burundi border.

The assembly’s 2013-2018 strategic plan envisages a people-centred approach to widening and deepening the integration agenda.

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