President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned the one-stop border post (OSBP) at Mpondwe on the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo border.
The OSBP is expected to ease trade between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Mpondwe border export zone and OSBP is part of the Great Lakes Trade facilitation project supported by the World Bank to increase trade and remove movement barriers that small-scale traders face in their quest to access the DRC market.
In March last year, construction works of the project were launched with Government officials noting that upon completion, the OSBP will help Uganda double export earnings from DRC, improve competitiveness and remove trade barriers.
With the existence of OSBP, trade ministry officials said, Uganda can double her export earnings from the current level of $2.3b if ‘we facilitate trade, diversify exports, improve the competitiveness of our commodities and remove trade barriers with our neighbours’.
According to government officials, Uganda’s trade with DRC has progressed over the years, with Ugandan exports to DRC currently amounting to $338m.
Exports through Mpondwe majorly comprise agricultural produce (beans, maize, millet, sugar, fish and banana) and industrial products.
Last year, President Yoweri Museveni and his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, also met at the Mpondwe border and commissioned the construction of 223km of roads to connect the two countries.
According to Museveni, the roads, Nebbi-Goli-Bunia, Bunia-Bogoro-Kasindi and Rwebisengo-Budiba-Buguma-Nyiyapandam, Beni-Butembo, Bubagana-Rutshuru-Goma and the Budiaba Bridge across River Semuliki, signify the true spirit of East Africa.
Trade state minister Harriet Ntabazi said the other project, Mpondwe border export zone, will promote investment through public-private partnerships.
