BY FLORIAN KAIJAGE
4th September 2013
Move comes after Dar's intervention
Deputy Minister for Transport, Dr Charles Tizeba said Kigali authorities agreed to revert to the previous rates while the ministers hold further discussions on the matter.
Briefing the media yesterday in Dodoma, the deputy minister said he held discussions with the Rwandan Transportation Minister Prof Silas Lwakabamba who apparently was initially unaware of the new rates.
“Upon receiving the information from businessmen, I contacted him over the phone.
He claimed to be unaware of the move, but after 20 minutes he called back to confirm that there were changes on duty rates,” said Dr Tizeba.
He said the minister clarified that the customs officers in Rwanda were simply acting on directives issued by their minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Claver Gatete, changing the duty rates levied on Tanzania cargo trucks.
He added: “He (the Transportation minister of Rwanda) promised to discuss the matter with his fellow minister (Claver Gatete) to revert to the previous rates. Therefore, currently all Tanzania’s trucks are subjected to the previous rates.”
Rwanda raised the rates from USD 152 (243,200/-) to USD 500 (800,000/-) per cargo truck passing through Rwanda. The new charges became operational on Monday this week at the Tanzania-Rwanda border at Rusumo, 139 kilometres from Kigali.
Before the rate of USD 152, Rwanda used to charge USD 16, equivalent to 25,600/-.
Prior to announcing the new duty rates, Rwanda had complained over the rates charged by Tanzania on non Tanzanian cargo trucks, which was USD 6 for those with 2 to 3 axles while trucks with more than 4 axles are charged USD 16 for every 100 kilometres.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has an agreement to charge USD 8 which is equivalent to 12,800/- per 100 kilometres for each trans-border movement of cargo trucks.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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