Regional lawmakers pin gov’ts over NTBs

Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) have described lack of political commitment among the EAC partner states as the only challenge that still thwart the implementation of the non-trade barriers protocol. Members deemed that since regional heads of state had signed documents to eliminate trade barriers, implementation had totally failed hence calling for an immediate resolution to break the deadlock for the benefit of the region.The lawmakers are presently meeting in Kigali to review the status of NTBs in the region and seek a common solution to the problem.“These barriers still exist because of failures of our governments. Protocols were signed but I don’t see why they are not implemented. If they don’t want, there is no need of wasting time signing these protocols,” Reuben Onserio Oyondi an MP from Kenya said in interview with The New Times.“Heads of State must come down, instruct and pressurise these other officials like the ministers, permanent secretaries and others who are responsible for the fight against NTBs. The formation of national monitoring committees is not enough as people are suffering out there.”National monitoring committees (NMC) were recently established in all partner states to identify the trade barriers in member countries.EAC Heads of State signed the Common Market Protocol on November 2009 to facilitate the free movement of goods, labour and capital to create a favourable atmosphere for regional trade. Since then, however, various Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) have persisted impeding trade.The latest report indicates that there were 36 roadblocks between Mombasa and Kigali and 30 between Dar -Es Salaam and Rusumo border with Uganda having a total of nine (9) between Malaba and Gatuna.Others problems cited were lack of parking yards at border posts, corruption along the two corridors and some countries as well as blocking Cargo Trucks from moving beyond 6:00 pm within Tanzania.Reports indicate that some vehicles transporting tourists are not permitted to cross the borders of some member states especially those from Kenya heading to Tanzania which is cited as a trade barrier.Regine Katabarumwe, a member of EALA from Burundi, mentioned that unless political will is demonstrable among the leaders to remove the trade barriers, regional citizens will not achieve their expected goals.“Since we entered into the community, this problem of NTBs has always been affecting not only transporters but also local citizens normally affected by hiked prices of products. Political will is slow and what we need now is to work together as East Africans to fight these barriers,” she said.Dr James Ndahiro, an EALA member from Rwanda and the current chairman of communication, trade and investment commission in the organ, noted that the political will exists but blamed the issue on corruption among some leaders.“The fact that these leaders signed the protocols shows that they had the commitment, but the problem is mainly corruption in police forces, customs and the civil service; these are the people who are against the integration process. Therefore, serious action must be taken to fight this problem.”He said that those assigned tasks to operate in these areas have ensured NTBs persist adding that concerned partners should address the issue before rushing to other matters.The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Emmanuel Hategeka, who officially the opened the two day meeting, reiterated that the trade barriers were hindering the region, especially landlocked countries.“NTBs still continue undermining the free movement of goods and land locked countries in East African Community are still being affected compared to others in other communities and progress has been slow in eliminating the barriers.”He said weighbridges and police check points on the central and northern corridors were on the rise instead of decreasing emphasising that these must be dealt with to facilitate free movement of goods among the partner states.“A lot needs to be done. We still have a long way to go to provide a good environment for traders. We need higher ambitions, more political will to reduce the trade barriers, especially corruption and delays at ports,” he said.Participants complained that the EAC Secretariat needs to become a commission with powers to ensure partner states implement the agreed protocols.