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Clearing and Forwarding Shipping Logistics. The Regional Customs Transit Guarantee (RTCG) scheme will also reduce the cost for transporters. It will now take a shorter time for transit goods to move through the East Africa Community and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa following the launch of a new scheme.
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The Regional Customs Transit Guarantee (RTCG) scheme will also reduce the cost for transporters.
The system will enable customs officials of participating countries to obtain information on transit goods and vehicles in advance, reducing waiting time at border points.
It comes with an internet-based management software.
Comesa secretary general Sandiso Ngwenya said the scheme would speed up acquittal of security bonds to increase the bond amount available at any one time for holders and agents and minimise the risk for sureties.
“The scheme will provide on-line communication between and among customs, sureties and clearing agents and enhance overall efficiency of bond management,” he said.
Every country
Mr Ngwenya was addressing Northern Corridor heads of customs on operations of the RTCG at the Whitesands Beach Hotel, Mombasa.
Currently, a bond has to be issued for every country transited, which is time consuming and costly.
In the new the system, one will be issued with a corresponding certificate, cutting the cost of guarantees, collateral amount and transit time.
Those involved are revenue authorities of various countries, insurers, freight forwarders, clearing agents and transporters.
The system - the first of its kind in Africa - has been on pilot basis since September last year in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda and is expected to be rolled out soon in DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe followed later in the year by Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan.
Trade minister Amos Kimunya, said the plan is part of the bloc’s efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers and enhance trade as well as reduce transport costs.
“High transport costs have become a far more restrictive barrier to trade for developing countries than tariffs,” he said.
Reducing these while simplifying customs procedures were critical to development in Africa.
“Getting rid of unnecessary procedures can reduce as much as 10 per cent from costs of doing business and that is more than the tariffs on industrial goods in developed countries,” added Mr Kimunya.
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By GITONGA MARETE - Nation Media