The Governments of the Republic of Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania are expected to sign a Bilateral Agreement for the establishment and implementation of a one-stop border post at Rusumo on the sidelines of the 20th Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers taking place on Friday 26 March 2010 at the Arusha International Conference Centre.
Hon. Monique Mukaruliza, Minister for East African Community Affairs of the Republic of Rwanda is expected to sign on behalf of the Government of The Republic of Rwanda, while Hon. Dr. Shukuru Jumanne Kawambwa, Minister for Infrastructure Development will sign on behalf of the Government of The United Republic of Tanzania.
The main objective of the Bilateral Agreement is to enhance trade facilitation, through the efficient movement of goods, persons and services between and within the two countries, the EAC and adjoining regions.
The Agreement is expected to enable expeditious and more effective border controls; reduce the number of stops in cross border trade and other transactions by combining border control activities of the two Partner States at a single location in each direction; and to extend the application of national laws relating to border controls of each Party in the other State thereby enabling border control Officers of each Partner State to legally perform statutory functions outside their national territory and within the territory of the other State.
The Agreement will also allow for the hosting of border control Officers in each other’s territory with authority to execute border control functions using their own national laws; share each other’s existing border control infrastructure and facilities thereby enabling border control Officers of each Party to perform statutory border control functions outside their national territory; and simplify border control documents and procedures to allow for expeditious processing of border controls.
It will also maximize the use of Information and Communication Technology in order to enhance the easier and speedier sharing of border control data between the border controls Officers; harmonize border control regulations and procedures for standardized application and easier predictability; and the two countries will carry out joint technical training of border control Officers so as to achieve common levels of conceptual understanding of the OSBP operations.
The Agreement underpins the involvement of the private sector as partners in the implementation process and through public awareness programs, training of border control facilitation agents and provision of requisite access to all private sector border control facilitation agents. It also aims at achieving maximum possible integration of border control documentation, procedures and systems.
According to the Agreement, each Partner State, where necessary, shall amend any of its other existing laws or enact such new laws as may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of the Agreement. The provisions of the new legislation shall be similar in effect and be in such terms as shall be agreed between the Parties.
Notwithstanding the date of signature and the dates of exchange of instruments of ratification, the Agreement shall enter into force on the date of commencement of the new legislation, which legislation shall come into operation simultaneously within the respective jurisdictions of the two Partner States.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) supported the one-stop border post concept at Rusumo and financed the consultancy to prepare the Bilateral Agreement and the Bill/law. Both documents have undergone extensive reviews by experts from both Countries since October 2009, culminating in the final meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 9 ? 10 March 2010, at the level of Permanent Secretaries.
Source: East African Community (EAC)
