Failure by all the East African Community (EAC) partner states to quickly adopt EACPass is hampering cross border trade in the region.
The setback has been compounded by apparent lack of coordination by the six member countries on testing so as to ease movement across the common borders.
This emerged at the Holili border crossing with Kenya last week during a trade facilitation forum by the East African Business Council (EABC) on the border trade between the two countries.
Truck drivers as well as small traders voiced their concerns on uncoordinated clearance procedures both for the goods and people, especially in regard to Covid-19 restrictions.
Small traders complained that while Covid-19 tests were free in one country, they were subjected to pay $10 for antigen tests in another country.
A regional health ministers meeting held in December last year approved the EACPass as a regional platform to facilitate movement of all travellers in the region and beyond.
The tool integrates all EAC states Negative test results for Covid-19 and is key to having a safe, seamless trip the next time one travels.
Last month (January), EABC called for fast-tracking of adoption of the EACPass, the only digital Covid-19 certificate mobile app accepted by the EAC.
The measure was also taken as part of elimination of trade barriers that will ensure quick recovery and resilience of the EAC economies from Covid-19 impact..
Kenya principal secretary for the EAC Affairs ministry Kevit Desai stated that unharmonized measures on Covid-19 increased the cost of business operations.
EABC executive director John Bosco Kalisa stressed the need for a quick roll-out of EACPass to facilitate increased trade at the Holili/Taveta border crossing.
The EAC secretariat insists that harmonization of Covid-19 charges and coordinated waiting time for Covid results was critical to facilitate business continuity and easing turn around time at border points.
The tool is directly integrated to all the six partner states' central depositories (National Laboratories).
Only national accredited laboratories are approved to carry out Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Covid-19 tests for travelers.
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