Dar es Salaam — RESIDENTS of Rombo district in Kilimanjaro region have started benefitting from the East African Community (EAC) Common Market which took off in June, this year.

The market had done away with 400 'Panya routes' which existed across Kenya-Tanzania border, prior to the signing of the Common Market agreement. A visit to Loitoktok, Tarakea, Taveta and Holili border towns will show how people are engaged in legal businesses without much interference from customs officials.

"I used to sell maize to Kenya through Panya routes but thanks to the Common Market that I can now freely and legally conduct my business at Holili without interference, says Lucas Mkenda.

Kenyans sell meat to the Tanzanian side and in turn buy grain like maize, beans, millet and sorghum at much affordable prices from their Tanzanian counterparts. Women who were most often seen smuggling kerosene from Kenya to the Tanzanian side are no longer there and instead they buy the commodity using the well established market at border posts.

Rombo District Commissioner, Mr Peter Toima admits that there were about 400 'Panya routes' in Rombo district before the common market became operational, but all of them have vanished.

He says that about 100,000 jobs have been created in Rombo after the establishment of the common market, through outsourcing, as enterprises take advantage of the market. The market, which is made up of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, paves for free movement of labour, services, capital and goods.

Traders don't suffer when moving their products across the countries as some of the restrictions are now relaxed, says Mr Toima. The cost of doing business has reduced, following the development of efficient communication infrastructure across the borders in Rombo district.

"People freely visit or cross into Kenya and vice versa for social, academic and business related purposes" says the Rombo DC. "Now, consumers in Rombo get access to a variety of cheaper and better quality products and services, thanks to the competitive environment", he emphasized.

"From July 1, business people have the right to establish trades in other EAC states, work permits are issued within specific time periods and many service providers supply their services in other partner countries and receive equal treatment to that of domestic providers," says Mr Toima.