Tanzania to implement SCT initiative among EAC member states

Tanzania prepares to deploy its customs officials in four East African Community member states of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi as one way to implement Single Customs Territory (SCT) an initiative promulgated by five East Africa Community (EAC) member states in late 2013. The move is in a bid to accomplish a tireless and diligent decision taken by members of the EA Legislative Assembly for the enormous task of making SCT a dream, a reality for the ideals of integration process that requires each member states to send its customs officials to fellow country member. The Acting Commissioner General of Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Lusekelo Mwaseba said yesterday in Dar es Salaam that, Tanzania is expected to deploy its customs officials in other member states in mid September this year. He said in an exclusive interview that, under the move, Rwanda and Burundi have already deployed their officials here in Tanzania a month ago. 

The Speaker of East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) Margret Zziwa, a Rwandan national.

The TRA boss clarified the matter when members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) paid a visit to the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) to see how business activities at the port especially the technology used in handling of goods for the landlocked countries of the member states.  The EALA members are in Dar es Salaam to conduct their normal parliamentary sessions which started on Monday this week and will go through for the next two weeks’ weeks time.  This is as per their routine that observe rotational basis Elaborating more about the SCT initiative, the TRA boss said that, the programme will reduce the cost of doing business by eliminating duplication of processes and unnecessary administrative costs, and thereby creating a mechanism for prevention of smuggling of goods at the regional level. He further noted that, the initiative would also help reduce the risks associated with non-compliamnc4 on transit of goods and enhance application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and information exchange at the regional level. However, he outlined the direct t impact of the programme once in operation that, officials would take much easier work by introducing an electronic monitoring of the goods by using cargo tracking systems technology that would enable the system work more effectively and efficiently.