REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON NORTHERN CORRIDOR TRANSPORT AND TRADE FACILITATION

The Northern Corridor Transit Transport Coordinating Authority (NCTTCA), in partnership with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and the East African Business Council will host a Regional Conference on Northern Corridor Transport and Trade Facilitation between in the later part of July or mid-August, 2009, in Mombasa, Kenya.

The event is expected to be graced by HE Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of Kenya and HE Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the East African Summit.

The conference will also be attended by Ministers constituting the NCTTCA Council of Ministers, Ministers for East African Community and Regional Coperation of the EAC member States, Ministers responsible for infrastructure, as well as Ministers responsible for trade in the NCTTCA and EAC countries. The conference will aslo be attended by members of the business community, private sector associations, government agencies, regional organizations and development partners.
Hon. Amb. Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Chairman of the NCTTCA Council of Ministers and Kenya’s Minister of Transport will be the overall Chairman of the Conference

The conference, whose theme is “Toward the reduction of the cost of doing business”, hopes to identify the salient factors contributing to the high logistics costs and the high cost of doing business using the Northern Corridor, with a view to agree on necessary policy reforms that require to be undertaken within agreed timeframes.

Towards the above end, the conference will discuss the challenges and operations of the port of Mombasa including issues on port congestions, the cotnainer freight stations, and port documentation/procedures. The confernce will also consider the improvement and development of Northern Corridor infrastructure, with specific focus on roads, rail and pipeline modes of transport. The introduction of Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) methodology to mobilize resources for infrastructure development will aso be considered.

In addition, the Conference, will deal with the elimination of non-tarrif barriers; and other facilitation measures, that include: customs administrative measures, one stop border posts initiatives, ICT use in customs clearance and pre-clearing of goods, as well as in the monitoring movement of transit goods. Challenges posed inadequacies in the private sector, corruption, lack of knowledge and capacity will also be discussed.

Finally, the conference will discuss the non-implementation of regional protocols and agreements in the area of trade and transport facilitation.