Kenya, Tanzania resolve to verify goods to end trade issues
NAIROBI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to
conduct joint verification exercise on all imports and exports to help
solve trade issues between the two neighboring countries.
The exercise, once established, will see goods such as lubricants,
edible oils, cement and textiles produced outside Export Processing Zone
trade un-prohibited between the two countries, according to a joint
communique between Kenya's Principal Secretary for Trade Chris Kiptoo
and his Tanzanian counterpart Adolf Mugenda issued in Nairobi on Sunday.
In the communique issued following three days of intensive talks, the
duo underscored the significance of having regular bilateral meetings
to discuss concerns and opportunities with a view of promoting trade for
the mutual benefit of the two countries and its people.
"The two sides deliberated on inter-alia concerns related to the
retail sector, customs, freight forwarding, administrative bottlenecks
and implementation of the East African Community (EAC) directives
including the Single Customs Territory system to hasten clearance of
goods across the borders," reads the communique.
Lack of preferential treatment for certain goods produced in the
region citing rules of origin and
application of non-tariff barriers
have seen trade between East Africa's two leading economies plummet in
the last two years.
The two government officials discussed the need to ratify and
implement the EAC Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Protocol,
which requires partner States to establish regulatory institutions and
harmonize control measures besides speedily development and adoption of
cargo tracking system.
The principal secretaries called upon immigration chiefs to convene
regular bilateral meeting to resolve some immigration issues which
technical committees felt did note encourage trade and investment
between the two countries.
Kiptoo said Tanzania was Kenya's second largest export market in the EAC block and the sixth in the world.
"Kenya's investment in Tanzania by 350 companies is worth over 1.5
billion U.S. dollars and offer employment to about 50,000 people in that
country," Kiptoo said.
The meeting noted that the directive issued jointly by Uhuru Kenyatta
of Kenya and Tanzania's John Magufuli of Tanzania regarding the free
flow of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, wheat flour, milk and milk products had
been fully implemented.
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