TANZANIA, RWANDA VOW TO TACKLE TRADE HURDLE

Tanzania and Rwanda are set for improved business and trade relations that will benefit both nations as the two East African Community (EAC) member states vow to jointly work on issues that affect their competitiveness.
Business leaders from the two countries — who met here under the auspices of Tanzania-Rwanda Trade Forum 2016, the first of its kind — said they have what it takes to start initiating partnerships that seek to streamline the conduct of trade between them. They will also be exchanging vital trade and investment information – gathered through their various means – to each other while taking advantage of the wider EAC in marketing the countries’ potential.
“Our role will be to implement the outcomes of bilateral talks between our two governments which were heard recently in which they agreed to deepen trade between us,” said the chairman for the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF), Mr Benjamin Gasamagera.
According to the chief executive officer of the Tanzania Truck Owners Association (Tatoa), Mr Emmanuel Kakuyu, Rwanda’s closeness to the Dar es Salaam Port means that the two countries can always increase the level of trade between themselves.
He said the Dar Port had been undergoing improvements during the past few years that had seen ships’ dwell time dropping from 20 days to about five while security measures had been taken to ensure that goods in transit to Rwanda and to other landlocked countries are delivered on time.
Officiating at the event, Rwanda’s minister for Trade and Industry, Mr François Kanimba, said there had been progress in removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to trading between the two countries but a lot should be done. “Rwanda recognises Tanzania’s efforts in improving the Dar es Salaam Port as well as in reducing the number of roadblocks but there are a number of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that still exist,” he told a gathering of about 120 business community members from the two countries.
President John Magufuli visited Rwanda last month in his first foreign trip since he came to power in 2015.
During the visit, President Magufuli and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame jointly inaugurated a one-stop border post at Rusumo.
Dr Magufuli also ordered the closure of four of the seven roadblocks on the road that links the two countries.
The Tanzania-Rwanda Trade Forum is a brainchild of the Dar es Salaam-based 361 Degrees under the sponsorship of Tatoa, Tanzania Trade Authority (TanTrade), Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, PSF, Simba Logistics Limited, Great Lakes Freight Limited, GSM and Bravo Logistics and hosted by the Tanzanian High Commissioner to Rwanda, Mr Ali Idi Siwa.
According to Mr Kanimba, since 70 per cent of Rwanda’s imports and exports pass via the Dar Port, still some issues should immediately be redressed for the two countries to benefit. He said while the trade volume between the two countries has been growing, reaching $268 million last year, there was no data to show that Rwanda was exporting anything to Tanzania.