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BUSINESSMugoya Roots for ‘Action’ as Uganda-Tanzania Summit Opens in Kampala
ByKim Aine
Posted on August 21, 2018
UGANDAN AND TANZANIAN OFFICIALS MEETING TODAY AT MUNYONYO
The second Uganda-Tanzania Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) Ministerial meeting has opened at Speke Resort Munyonyo with officials calling for dedication and commitment to implement the agreed positions after the function.
The two countries intend to boost bilateral trade and also increase communication and movements among their people.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Amb Patrick Mugoya said the meetings should “deliver tangible outputs for the benefit of our people.”
He said scaling up bilateral trade requires “resolving outstanding issues” including the removal of Non-tariff barriers.
The JPC is an effective platform for enhancing and consolidating bilateral cooperation frameworks between the two countries.
The summit comes at a time when Uganda and Tanzania have recently stepped up bilateral cooperation in a number of sectors.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that key bilateral issues for consideration during the visit will include “cooperation in the Transport sector, Power Projects and Uganda-Tanzania cross border trade issues among others.”
Mugoya today said Uganda and Tanzania continue to enjoy cordial relations with leaders from both countries visiting each other in recent months.
He urged members to “double efforts” to ensure implementation of agreements and also propose “concrete measures” on following up on areas where execution remains weak.
The meeting was graced by Uganda’s Ambassador to Tanzania Richard Kabonero and officials from ministries of Defence, Energy, Trade and Agriculture among others.
The two countries will seek to harmonize charges levied on Ugandan trucks transiting through the central corridor.
Telecom
ChimpReports understands officials will move to implement a One Area Network to bring into line tariffs on voice calls and reduce roaming charges for calls originating from both countries.
Tanzania and Uganda will further brainstorm on railway transport and expanding Port Bell to serve as a transit point of cargo from Tanzania.
Also on agenda is fast-tracking the oil pipeline construction project from Hoima to Tanga and the natural gas pipeline from Tanzania to Uganda to process iron ore for iron.
The 1st Tanzania-Uganda JPC was held on April 3-5, 2017 in Arusha during which the two countries agreed on a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and other cooperation frameworks.
Today’s function is seen as an opportunity for both countries to consider establishment of new areas of cooperation.
A Joint Business Forum being organized in partnership with Trade Mark East Africa will take place tomorrow Wednesday at Munyonyo.
It will bring together companies and business people from both Tanzania and Uganda consisting of manufacturers, importers, exporters, clearing agents and transporters to discuss opportunities for trade between the two countries, and identify challenges that need to be resolved.
Mugoya Roots for ‘Action’ as Uganda-Tanzania Summit Opens in Kampala