Uganda Revenue Authority has received patrol items that will boost cross border trade and improve surveillance on water bodies. These include a two-engine Yamaha Speed Boat, two double cabin motor vehicles and an x-ray baggage scanner (being installed today at Elegu One Stop Border Post – OSBP) that will enhance implementation of the Project for Enhancing Trade Facilitation & Border Control Capacity in East Africa.
The donations are part of the support by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) towards delivering Regional Economic Development through trade facilitation enhancement in East Africa.
“These patrol items received today, especially the speed boat, two double cabin motor vehicles and their accessories, night vision, and search lights are great assets that will facilitate regular joint border/water surveillance activities at our borders for example; Malaba (Kenya/Uganda), Busia (Kenya/Uganda), Lake Victoria, Mutukula (Tanzania/Uganda), and Katuna/Gatuna (Uganda/Rwanda)”, noted Abel Kagumire – the URA Commissioner Customs.
The Yamaha Speed Boat is designed with heavy duty steel and it is capable of operating in tropical conditions and extreme weather.
An increase in surveillance and patrols on or around lake/land borders for trade will contribute significantly towards the reduction of smuggling as more importers will be expected to use customs gazetted routes other than the ungazetted routes on lakes.
Robinah Siima, FINCA Uganda CFO: Quiet Discipline and the Evolution of Finance to Strategic, Human ImpactOn the other hand, the X-ray Baggage scanner will detect contrabands conveyed by travellers through customs; strengthen customs function of protection of society from harmful and prohibited goods such as weapons which may not ordinarily be declared to customs; while limiting physical checks which improves doing business in a safe environment in the era of COVID-19.
“The technical support from JICA is timely because it comes in at a time when the East African Customs Administrations have agreed to improve the efficiency of border procedures and enhance border control.”, added Abel Kagumire.
To fight against security threats and promote economic growth in the region, the five EAC countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda requested the Japanese Government to provide technical cooperation on trade facilitation and border control. The project has been implemented by JICA as “Project on Capacity Development for Trade Facilitation and Border Control in East Africa (2017-2022)” where the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) are contracted to procure and install, respectively, border control and surveillance equipment. In doing so, the capacities of customs departments of revenue authorities in trade facilitation and supply chain security will be enhanced.
The Government of Japan has been supporting the One Stop Border Post projects in EAC since 2007 through JICA. This newly delivered equipment will counter internationally organized crimes, supply-chain insecurity, and the increasing global threats of terrorism at EAC borders. With the support and expertise of JICA, this project has paved way for the necessary further enhancements to obtaining efficient and effective border control.
