Finance Minister William Mgimwa told The Citizen that the government had
lowered the rate to $152 (about Sh243,200) from the previous $500
(about Sh800,000) per truck. PHOTO | FILE
In Summary
- Meanwhile, a humanitarian crisis had started building up yesterday as hundreds of drivers and illegal immigrants stranded at Rusumo border exerted pressure on social services and the environment.
- A pile-up of trucks extended for about five kilometres in Rusumo Township and for three kilometres to Benaco village as drivers awaited clearance at the border.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has finally bowed to Kigali’s demands to lower the road toll on Rwanda’s trucks heading into the country.
The move came after negotiations in Kampala on
Tuesday between Finance Minister William Mgimwa and his Rwandese
counterpart, Mr Claver Gatete.
Speaking on the phone from Kampala yesterday, Dr Mgimwa told The Citizen that the government had lowered the rate to $152 (about Sh243,200) from the previous $500 (about Sh800,000) per truck.
He explained: “We finally realised that if we
stuck to our guns, Tanzania was likely to suffer because our colleagues
have fewer vehicles entering our country compared to our trucks headed
for Rwanda.”
Dr Mgimwa said he had sent Mr Gatete a letter
confirming the new rates. Mr Gatete’s phone went unanswered but the
Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) commissioner general, Mr Ben Kagarama,
confirmed that Kigali had received Dr Mgimwa’s letter.
“I have just been informed by my minister that the
rates have been lowered and we have also decided to opt for the old
charges as well,” said the RRA boss. “We have cancelled the new rates
that came into effect on September 1.
Meanwhile, a humanitarian crisis had started
building up yesterday as hundreds of drivers and illegal immigrants
stranded at Rusumo border exerted pressure on social services and the
environment.
A pile-up of trucks extended for about five
kilometres in Rusumo Township and for three kilometres to Benaco village
as drivers awaited clearance at the border.
Hundreds of immigrants from Rwanda who were to be
repatriated were also stuck at the border as Tanzanian officials accused
their Rwandan counterparts of bureaucracy and reluctance to clear the
passage of immigrants into Rwanda.
Mr Kadende Mhuru, the village chairman at Rusumo village, told The Citizen on the phone: “It is a crisis.
More than eight trucks arrived this morning with
illegal immigrants. Drivers are also stuck here and across the border.
We just cannot feed them all.”
Tanzania has embarked on an exercise to drive out
illegal immigrants to reduce crime and pressure on the environment and
social services.
President Jakaya Kikwete ordered the immigrants to leave
voluntarily and a campaign to force them out got underway when the
deadline expired.
Ngara District Officer Constantine Kanyatu
admitted having a crisis on his hands despite preparations to
accommodate immigrants at the border for a short period.
Mr Kanyatu added: “We have prepared food for them and arranged for a mobile clinic to provide health services when needed."
"But, as we did not anticipate a long stay, we did
not prepare tents. The problem is that Rwandan officials are taking too
long to clear the immigrants.”
He blamed the drivers for the pile up of trucks,
saying they knew in advance that the transit fees would rise if no deal
was reached by Monday.
An immigration officer said, however, that Rwanda
had not charged the $500 per truck yesterday and that the cause of the
pile-up was poor internet communications at the Tanzania Revenue
Authority offices.
Some trucks had to be allowed to park on the Rwandan side of the border to ease the pressure.
Last week, the Rwandan government raised to $500
(about Sh800,000) entry charges per truck up from the previous $152
(about Sh243,200), arguing that the charge corresponded with what
Tanzania was charging Rwandan trucks at Rusumo.
Tanzania opted to negotiate the new rates after
the Tanzania Truck Owners Association protested that the new rates would
hit their business if the government did not intervene.
Last week, trucks ferrying goods destined for
Rwanda stretched some 20 kilometres from the border. Rwanda temporarily
suspended its own charges pending further negotiations.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
