Inefficiencies along the Northern Corridor route of Mombasa to Kampala is contributing to about 40 per cent of the Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of goods imported to Uganda and transit countries at large, a report on the movement of cargo on the route has said.

A report from the Seamless Transport Services (STS), a committee set up to remove bottlenecks, barriers and ensure that cargo moving from Mombasa port to the hinterland moves without any hassles, said Mombasa port traffic is increasing at a rate of 16 per cent per year and is projected to increase due to poor take off and vibrant growth being experienced in the economies of the countries being served by the port.

The Chairman Seamless Transport Services Mr Alex Kabuga said recently that in 2007, Mombasa port handled 585,000 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs). Mr Kabuga said this year the cargo out put is projected to reach 625,000 TEUs.

“It’s going to be a big hike. As the traffic increases, the off take and transit times must also improve to ensure that there is no congestion. Congestion is caused when you have more cargo coming at a high speed and the off take is low,” Mr Kabuga said.

The slow movement of cargo on Uganda’s traditional sea route has for many a time raised a lot of concern from importers who want their goods to arrive to their destinations in time. The bulk transporter, the rail, which is supposed to ease movement of goods, has been blamed by stakeholders for failure to do its job.

The corridor is now 91 per cent reliant on the few transit trucks, who also take their time. Mr Kabuga, also a senior Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) official, is urging government agencies and the private sector to work towards ensuring the uninterrupted flow of goods.

“The inefficiencies of the Northern Corridor are impinging negatively on the cost of goods, which in turn affects the common population at the countries where the goods are destined,” he said.

A communiqué released in Kampala recently by the Seamless Transport Service, the regional countries agreed to extend operation hours at the borders to 10:00 am at night by September are 24hr operations by the end of the year.

Mombasa, the port of origin for transit cargo, operates 24 hrs. However, its operations are not been compatible with the operations at the borders. The incompatibility is contributing to the cargo pile up.
“If the port is operating 24hrs, then the borders should do the same,” Mr Kabuga said.” This way we shall save time. Time is money and if you continue losing time, you are losing business”

Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs) on the Northern Corridor have hampered cargo movement. Efforts have also been hampered by numerous weighbridges and stamps that cargo goes through.

While transit vehicles are supposed to be weighed twice in Kenya at Mariakani and Amagoro in Busia, the current practice, however, is that all transit vehicles are being required to pass through all other six weighbridges for stamping purposes.

The Seamless Transport Service called on the Kenyan ministry of Roads to discontinue this practice and ensure that only statutory requirements governing transit cargo are adhered to. The committee also wants the weighing of transit trucks in Uganda, to be restricted to Busitema and Mbarara only.

Kenya is said to have taken a decision to phase out weighbridges following numerous complaints. Rwanda’s Transport Sector Coordinator Mr Jean Kanyamuhanda, said transport cots cover 40 percent of Rwanda’s value of goods. Mr Kanyamuhanda attributed the costs to the NTBs.