Nagu Urges Traders in K'njaro Not to Smuggle Goods

The beautiful Nagu!By Deus Ngowi

Kilimanjaro — TANZANIAN traders have been urged to desist from smuggling their stock into or from the country, but instead use official centres for transacting business.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (Investment and Empowerment), Dr Mary Nagu, cautioned the dealers when she toured Holili One-Stop Border Post in Rombo district recently.

Dr Nagu said the centre was built in order to simplify the import and export of goods between Tanzania and Kenya in a move that would see a total of 15 such centres constructed in the East Africa region.

She said it was imperative for Tanzanian businessmen and women to liaise with their colleagues in neighbouring countries to promote trade among them, assuring them that the centres would serve to speed up the processing of goods.

Construction of the Holili centre on the Tanzania side was completed in December, last year, but the $5.7 million stateof- the-art structure has remained largely idle for sometime as the two countries are still working on the legal modalities.

Ms Nagu hailed construction of the centre, saying it was one of incentives to prospective investors to come and invest in the country because in the past border centres were in an awful state.

She noted that Tanzania being one of the countries where investors find it expensive to trade, it would be difficult for investor to make it to the country, but with the change in situation, the nation is poised to benefit from investment.

The minister of state said OSBP would provide traders with conducive environment as bureaucracy will be history, efficiency will be experienced and the goods will be transported promptly without unnecessary delays.

The Acting Head of Holili Customs Station, Mr Nassor Salim Juma said completion of the centre will make their job simpler and is going to be used as planned.

The East African Community (EAC) passed a law on OSBP in April 2013 and Tanzania has already approved the Bilateral Agreement and forwarded it to Kenya.

The construction of the two OSBP projects at Holili and Taveta are expected to reduce 30 per cent total average time to clear cargo at the borders, which will in turn contribute to reducing transport costs and increase in intra-regional and foreign trade in EAC.

The OSBP project focuses on setting up an institutional and legal framework necessary for increasing collaboration at inter-agency and bilateral levels, reviewing and implementing OSBP procedures, training border agency officials, and installing ICT networks, hardware, furniture and equipment.

Chanzo: allAfrica