BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER
5th September 2013
According to a letter from RRA Commissioner General Ben Kagarama to his Tanzanian counterpart, Rwanda decided to increase the fee from USD152 to USD500 for trucks from Tanzania on September 1 this year to allow fair competition in the cross-border transport industry.
However, the letter said, based on the complaints raised by Tanzanian transporters that they were not prepared to pay the new charges, especially for the trucks that were already enroute to Kigali, the RRA has decided to postpone charging the new fees until September 10, this year.
Dated September 4 and with reference number 127L/RRA/KG/EACG/13, the letter said the decision to delay the duty follows concerns raised by the Rwandan Transporters’ Association (RTA) on the higher road maintenance fee of USD500 charged by the Tanzania Revenue Authorities (TRA) leading to a loss of the former’s market share along the central corridor.
The letter said that the decision was a result of the fact that Rwanda only charges USD152 for every Tanzanian truck entering its territory and that the issue has been discussed by relevant parties with Tanzania requesting a review of the fees downward in order to have fair competition between truckers in the two countries.
Speaking to The Guardian in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Rwandan High Commissioner to Tanzania Ben Rugangazi, said the current applicable road toll of USD152 which was reinstated by RRA is only temporary.
He said there have been discussions between TRA and RRA on how the two can harmonise road tolls in the two states.
Ambassador Rugangazi said that before the duty hikes trucks registered in Rwanda entering Tanzania have been paying $500 to TRA while those registered in Tanzania entering Rwanda have continued to pay only $152 to RRA.
“Businessmen and truck owners are saying with such an arrangement, they cannot compete. However Rwanda believes that increasing the charges is the only way it can satisfy the truck owners in Kigali,” the envoy explained, adding: “Already all trucks which were stranded at the Rusumo border post have been permitted to pay the old charge and are heading to Kigali,” he assured.
Rugangazi also called on Tanzania to reduce the rate charged on trucks entering Tanzania from Rwanda.
On Tuesday Transport deputy minister Dr Charles Tizeba said Rwandan authorities had dropped the new duty of USD500 imposed on every Tanzanian cargo truck crossing the border to the former country after discussions between officials of the two governments.
Tizeba said Kigali authorities agreed to revert to the previous rate while the ministers hold further discussions on the matter.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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