The Rwanda Revenue Authority has commended the Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs) programme, saying the project has helped improve efficiency in customs operations and tax administration at border posts.

Rosine Uwamariya, the customs operations manager at RRA, said: "Essentially, AEO is a trade facilitation tool that ensures arrival of goods to the market on time.”

AEO rewards tax complaint businesses by giving them priority in the clearing of goods through customs, not subjecting their goods to physical examination except for random or exceptional cases, among other advantages, the tax body added in a statement. At the East African Community (EAC) level, the project objective is to ensure that customs administrators are better prepared to contribute to enhanced regional integration, trade facilitation, performance and improved market access, the statement indicated.

"We are implementing this programme because we want to facilitate trade. Also, Rwanda signed the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which among other things requires us to do so,” said Uwamariya, adding that the project improves tax revenue collections as it is tax-payer oriented.

Uwamariya was speaking during a one-day consultative meeting of the Authorised Economic Operators national technical committee last week in Kigali. The meeting discussed how implementation of key, but pending action points of the project can be expedited, the statement added.

Cesar Nyiridandi, a clearing agent, commended the project, saying it offers his business immense opportunities "because by reducing on the turnaround time, it helps to increase volumes of business.”

Authorised Economic Operators include manufacturers, importers, exporters, brokers, carriers, consolidators, intermediaries, ports, airports, terminal operators, integrated operators, warehouses and distributors, among others.