The number of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) reported along the East African transport corridor points through a mobile based application being run by the Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS) has recorded a significant decline, signaling a return to normalcy in the supply chain.
Since October this year, when most of the cargo movement restrictions had been eased, the App, dubbed “ISCOS Shipplinc”, that is freely downloaded by Android and iPhone operating systems-Google Play, had recorded only 5 cases by January this year.
This compares poorly with the month of March when the region tightened cargo handling and movement of cargo measures, after cases of Covid 19 were reported in the East Africa region. In March alone, over 100 industry players raised complains through the system.
Between the month of April and September last year, the App received an average of 18 cases every month. Most of these cases related to delays of clearance of goods at various border posts, weighbridges, ports both in the Central and Northern Corridor by various cargo interveners.
Most of the delays reported were occasioned by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Ministry of Health in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and the Anti- Counterfeit Agency (ACA), among others.
The logistics industry players have developed a number of measures to minimize the risk of spread as well as enhance seamless flow of the cargo after the Mombasa port recorded a high number of cases some that turned fatal. Truck drivers were also considered a weak link and virus super spreaders across the borders.
The Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Tracking System (RECDTS) was developed and launched in September last year. The system has registered drivers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
The East African Community (EAC) secretariat developed this application with the funding from European Union, Global Affairs Canada, Danida, Finland, Netherlands and the United Kingdom through Trademark East Africa (TMEA).
This application was conceived to address the challenges manual certificates faced that included multiple testing of truck drivers at border crossing since there was no framework of mutual recognition of testing and test results across borders.
Covid 19 certificate is generated electronically and every step, data and information about a driver monitored at a common command center in Nairobi.
Federation of East Africa Freight Forwarders Association (FEAFFA) due to its regional reach took lead in mobilizing industry stakeholders.
Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) confirms that the bottleneck along the corridors and delays at the border crossing have reduced. The only challenge is that of truck drivers testing due to lack of reagents and Miritini testing centre that has remained closed since staff went for December holidays.
Another significant measures taken by the industry players was the development of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) last year, which guided the industry in coping with Covid 19 as the logistics industry sought to spring back in a ‘new normal’ environment.
The SOPs were developed by a consultant and a team of industry experts in cargo transport, Warehousing, Freight Forwarding and Customs clearance. They were sent to the different stakeholders for input.
This initiative was also supported by the TMEA. It was rolled out in collaboration with The FEAFFA, KTA, Regional Lorry Drivers and Drivers Association (RLDA) and Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATOA).
Other collaborators included the Long-distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LODDCA), Transporters Association of Tanzania (TAT), Association des Transporteurs Internationauz du Burundi (ATIB) and Association de Transporateurs et Transitaires Agrees du Rwanda (ATAR).
SOP measures target cargo road trucking- drivers, crew and transporters; warehousing, Container Freight Station (CFSs) and Inland Container Depots (ICD). The other set of measures are targeting customs clearance and freight forwarders sector.
ISCOS is has encouraged traders using the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam to report any incident and receive updates of their cargo from loading point to the destination on a mobile phone using the ISCOS App.
“The app is simplified to allow anyone in freight and logistics to interact with it and it will end the communication gap which has been in the industry for many years. The platform has provisions to report any agency not giving services as required and also getting feedback and any information regarding importation and exportation of goods,” ISCOS Secretary General Daniel Kiange, said.
