East African Legislative Assembly conducts oversight activities on the Ports of Mombasa and Dar Es Salam

East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: 6 February 2024: The Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is conducting oversight activities to assess the effectiveness and efficiencies in the operations of the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam from February 04 to 09, 2024. The oversight activities are aimed at evaluating the customs management, cargo clearance, and making recommendations to the Council of Ministers for improvement.

The Committee is undertaking the activities in two groups with one group visiting the Port of Mombasa and the other group visiting the Port of Dar es Salaam. The Team visiting the Port of Mombasa is being led by the Chairperson of the Committee, the Hon. Suleiman Shahbal, while the team in Dar es Salam is being led by the Hon.  Francine Rutazana, a Member of the Committee.

The objectives of these oversight activities include inquiring into the conformity of port operations to the aspirations of the East African Community (EAC) Treaty, assessing the efficacy of port operations, and examining modernization initiatives undertaken at the two ports in the past 2 to 5 years.

Members of the committee will engage in interactive meetings with various stakeholders, including port authorities, revenue authorities/customs officers, clearance and forwarding agents, traders' and business associations, transporters' associations, and other relevant agencies.

The expected outputs of this oversight activity are to confirm the strategic market orientation of port operations, highlight measures taken to enhance port performance and trade facilitation, and identify bottlenecks and challenges to effective port operations.

This assessment will also provide insights on the implementation of EAC initiatives, such as the Single Customs Territory (SCT), Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program, and Electronic Cargo Tracking System, among others. It will also address horizontal relations among agencies and organizations operating at the ports and provide recommendations for improvement.

The findings and recommendations from this oversight activity will be used to inform policy and legislative decisions aimed at improving the operations of the ports and promoting efficient trade facilitation in the region.

-END-

For more information, please contact:

Nicodemus Ajak Bior

Senior Public Relations Officer (SPRO)

East Africa Legislative Assembly

Arusha, Tanzania

Tel: +255-768-885-633/, +254729157207(WhatsApp)

Email: nbior@eachq.org

Web: www.eala.org