Trade, Customs, and Transport Initiatives Funded by African Development Bank

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has given a grant of millions to finance institutional support on trade and transport in East Africa. The fund co-financed with World Bank, will support the regional trade and transport facility by fostering trade growth and securing an effective EAC Customs Union this will help promote Tourism Industry in East Africa since non-tariff barriers along the regions main transit and transport corridor to be removed. Under the partnership arrangement between the two institutions the AfDB is financing the regional Integration Aspects of the project while the World Bank will finance the countries specific components said Director for infrastructure. With the resurrection of the East African Community, the harmonization of regional transport policies, plans and programs will help also promote Regional Domestic Tourism. The bank grant will allow the EAC secretariat to develop a regional customs strategy provide harmonized customs procedures and training and deploy an IT interconnection system and common database to link all the national customs systems.

The grant will also assist the EAC in preparing a regional transport strategy and regional road sector development program to guide the regional policies and investments in the road sector for 2008-2018. This program would be a blessing to east African travelers since they will be moving freely within the tourism destinations of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.