11 November 2009
editorial
Kigali — Rwanda has been ranked third, out of nine countries, in the volume of business handled at the Kenyan port of Mombasa. By the first half of this year, the country accounted for 5.9 percent of all the traffic handled by Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
The rankings were published after a comparative study was carried out to assess which of the countries; Tanzania, Burundi, Somalia, Southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Ethiopia attracted most traffic at Mombasa.
During a recent visit to Rwanda by officials from KPA, it was noted that despite the fact the port had extended its working hours, the majority of traders still prefer to clear their cargo during day time, a factor that was creating congestion at the port.
The port has also initiated an automated cargo handling facility to expedite clearance of goods.
To reduce the cost of using the port, KPA has slashed charges for scanning, verification and inspection to $75 for every 20 inches of a container.
Being a landlocked nation, we can only embrace whatever opportunity avails itself that reduces the cost of doing business across our geographical boundaries.
This is the only way we can match competition from our neighbors that are geographically more advantaged.
It's, therefore, important that Rwandan traders take advantage of these reforms at KPA to increase the volume of trade and traffic at the port.
They should maximize the 24 hour working schedule put in place by the Port's management to avoid a backlog at the ports.
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