Transport Corridor Efficiency for East African Businesses

The East African Business Council (EABC) webinar held on April 25th, 2025, shed light on corridor performance and its impact on businesses within the East African Community (EAC). Officials emphasized the pivotal role of public-private dialogue and trade facilitation agencies in ensuring efficient transport corridor performance. Notably, the webinar disclosed that the average freight cost in 2023 for a 20ft container from China to the Port of Mombasa was USD 2188, and to Dar es Salaam, it was USD 1975. Acting Secretary-General of the EAC, Annette Semuwemba Mutawe, commended the operationalization of the EAC Single Customs Territory and one-stop border posts for reducing border delays and trade costs. She lauded the commitment of EAC Heads of States to infrastructure development to enhance competitiveness, trade, and economic growth. Mr. John Bosco Kalisa, Executive Director of EABC, stressed the significance of transport corridors in connecting landlocked countries to major seaports, facilitating intra-regional trade and economic development. He highlighted challenges such as inadequate transport connectivity and non-tariff barriers affecting transit time and corridor performance, calling for public-private dialogue to address these issues. Miss Pauline Ukwalu from the Shippers Council of East Africa (SCEA) presented the East Africa Logistic Performance Index, revealing high road transport rates and extended ship turnaround times at the Port of Mombasa compared to global benchmarks. Mr. Emmanuel Rutagengwa from the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA) highlighted efficiency improvements at Dar es Salaam Port and ongoing railway projects aimed at enhancing connectivity. Mr. Denis Lewa Muganga from the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Authority (NCTTA) emphasized the need for investments to boost exports, given the high import-export ratio along the corridor. Dr. Merian Sebunya, Chairperson of the National Logistics Platform, Uganda, underscored the adverse impact of high transport costs and inadequate infrastructure on businesses, advocating for collaboration among trade facilitation agencies to enhance corridor performance. The webinar brought together 100 stakeholders, including trade facilitation agencies, manufacturers, transporters, importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and shippers, highlighting key challenges such as lack of multimodal transport, disparity in levying Road User Charges (RUC), numerous road stops, unharmonized implementation of regulations, and lack of standardized trade practices across East Africa.