Rwanda, Burundi sign cross-border trade pact

Rwandan and Burundian traders have received a major boost after the launch of a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at the Gasenyi-Nemba border in Bugesera District that is expected to significantly reduce non-tariff barriers in both countries.It officially became operational yesterday after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Louis Mushikiwabo, and her Burundian counterpart, Laurent Kavakure.The MoU paves the way for both countries to work together to bolster trade flows by harmonising border control regulations and procedures, and implement more efficient border control mechanisms.“The East African integration’s big picture is to efficiently remove all barriers to trade and movement of people throughout the region. In this region, we are one people and we want to remove all barriers that separate us so that people can move from country to country without being bothered by bureaucracies,” Mushikiwabo noted.“For both countries to realise the expected results from this OSBP, we must use all available avenues, such as ICT, and ensuring that customer-friendly relations are always availed for traders.”In his remarks, Kavakure said: “The world is moving ahead very fast and activities such as these, which are aimed at speeding up trade procedures, are what we must concentrate on to enable our countries to develop and ensure that our people lead better lives”.The Commissioner General of Rwanda Revenue Authority, Ben Kagarama, added that the post would console traders who are always sabotaged by bureaucracies at the border.“There will now be only one check-in point at the border managed by officials from both countries, instead of the usual two different offices. This kind of understanding between both countries will improve time efficiency and definitely contribute to the economic growth of both countries,” Kagarama underlined.Rwanda plans to create OSBP at all its borders. The OSBP at Gasenyi- Nemba, funded by the African Development Bank which injected US$47 million, is the second one that the country shares with its neighbours, following one established at Gatuna-Katuna that serves both Rwanda and Uganda.Part of the funds were meant to facilitate the construction of 149 kilometres of feeder roads between the two countries to improve the transportation of goods.Exports to Burundi through Gasenyi-Nemba last year totalled Rwf 1.73 billion whereas imports were valued at Rwf 1 billion.

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Rwanda, Burundi sign cross-border trade pact