TRANSPORT

TRANSPORT

Poor Infrastructure Inhibiting Trade On Lake Tanganyika

The stakeholders were also asked to advocate and lobby for increased promotion of cross border and exports business within the lake states to enable vessels have return cargo to carry which in essence would bring down the cost of operation and freight, particularly for Mpulungu (Zambia), located far south of the lake.

By a Correspondent

Poor port infrastructure has been identified as among the key challenges inhibiting the facilitation of shipping and trade across Lake Tanganyika. A stakeholders forum of the Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS) for the Facilitation of Shipping and Trade across Lake Tanganyika, noted that the existing infrastructure at the lake ports remains poor and not being reviewed to match the pace of increasing trade and cargo volume within the lake. The forum held in Dar es Salaam in April, 2021, identified the most affected ports as Moba, Kalemie, Muliro and Kalundu; lacking landing, loading and unloading equipment, as well as warehousing facilities. The infrastructure challenges have led to inefficient utilisation of vessels plying the lake, thus increasing the turnaround time and creating a perceived scarcity of vessels. At Kigoma Port, lack of sufficient storage facilities, in addition to the low productivity at the port, had led to the use of wagons as storage facilities which interfere with the wagon turnaround time. The low level of productivity (service delivery) also bedeviling Kalemie Port, is occasioned by inadequate capacity and poor/old infrastructure, tools and equipment, manual systems and inadequate deployment of man power, thus causing cargo movement delays, congestions, and snowball effect in other ports waiting for the vessels.

Inadequate aids to navigation equipment and navigation charts across the lake was also identified; as well as underwater challenges due to siltation, which are impeding vessels' movement across the lake. Another challenge is lack of an effective structured forum for exchanging and sharing of information among players on the lake and between the lake states on a continuous basis and for tracking the level of service delivery on the Lake. The forum also identified disparities in immigration policies amongst regional lake countries especially the visa fees which in some countries are perceived to be high for traders and operators seeking entrance into the countries. Ports and Marine tariffs are equally perceived to be high and inhibiting the use of lake transport and the forum called for a review and harmonisation of the same across the lake ports. The forum blamed lack of a multilateral water transport agreement among the riparian States to facilitate the harmonisation and standardisation of transport policies. The other challenges include: - Climatic changes causing exceedingly high or low levels of water, which inhibits the docking of vessels and interferes with the ports' environment and operations/productivity; - Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) that restrict market access for goods across member states; - Unlicensed/unregistered small boats/canoes which do not meet the sea worthy standards, with most of them being operated without life jackets and other safety gears; - Absence of forums where service providers of a specific line of services between States meet to share information and collaborate in policy and operational practice/procedure harmonisation; - Presence of unregulated small ports that cause social economic challenges; - Disparity in customs systems of different Lake States which creates disparities in customs clearance procedures for cargo moving between lake ports. To mitigate the challenges, the forum recommended the Riparian States of Republic of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Zambia: · To prioritize the improvement of infrastructure of lake ports (especially Kalemie, Moba and Kalundu), rail and road systems in order to take care of TRANSPORT

the increasing volumes of trade and cargo moving to and through the lake ports and across the lake; · To continue reviewing and putting in place policies and procedures which encourage and facilitate the seamless flow of cargo through the lake ports and across the lake, including the harmonisation of customs and immigration policies; · To enhance collaboration with the private sector in the encouragement and promotion of investment in Port infrastructure and Water Transport and the improvement of service delivery in the lake ports; · To continue putting in place policies which encourage the growth of crossborder as well as on import and export trade; · To continue working together in the management and mitigation of adverse changes in the water levels which appear to be a common problem to all lake ports. The forum at the same time mandated ISCOS to: - Concretise the establishment of the Stakeholders Forum for the Facilitation of Shipping and Trade across Lake Tanganyika and adopt the Forum as a tool supporting the strategic initiatives started on the lake by the regional states; - Identify Stakeholders of the Lake, profile their roles and suggest a suitable Service Charter for the regular review of performance and continuous improvement; - Mobilise Development partner support for the continuous and sustainable functioning of this forum; - Conduct a review on the differences in policies, procedures and regulations for the purposes of advising on harmonization; - Collaborate with the Lake Tanganyika Authority and other relevant authorities such as Burundi Maritime, Port and Railway Authority,Tanzania

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Ports Authority, Mpulungu Harbour Corporation Ltd, to seek donor support to find a lasting solution to the challenges of extreme changes (low and high) in water levels at Lake Tanganyika; and - Profile identified challenges, allocate responsibility, track and report on progress of their mitigation measures. The stakeholders of the lake were on their part asked to: - Support the Stakeholder Forum for the Facilitation of Shipping and Trade along Lake Tanganyika as an operational tool for exchange and sharing information, harmonising policies and procedures, allowing participation and inclusivity of stakeholders on issues affecting service delivery and driving a culture of continuous improvement; - Continue lobbying their states for the modernisation and continuous improvement of ports facilities, infrastructure, systems and tools in order to enhance efficiency and match the increasing volumes of trade and cargo; - Sharing information with ISCOS on matters of interest to the forum especially on adverse conditions which require its attention and possible intervention; and also relevant statistics and information as may be requested; - Advocate for and formulate structured stakeholders engagement within their ports and between Lake States ports; The stakeholders were also asked to advocate and lobby for increased promotion of cross border and exports business within the lake states to enable vessels have return cargo to carry which in essence would bring down the cost of operation and freight, particularly for Mpulungu (Zambia), located far south of the lake. The forum appreciated the efforts at the regional level to revamp soft and hard infrastructure in support of lake transport which include enhancement of Lake Ports' facilities, Road and Railway Systems,Tools and Equipment. It took note of the renewed determination and commitment from the Lake Tanganyika States to revive water Transport facilities and particularly the rehabilitation of vessels, building new vessels and enhancement of inland Ports facilities; The forum equally recognised the increasing role of Inland water ways in connecting and facilitating international and intra-regional trade and tourism, and the opportunity which water transport provides in offering competitive cost of moving cargo and people across the lake. And further that Maritime Transport is a complex and highly technical sector whose initiatives require the expertise of institutions like ISCOS to coordinate. The forum brought together institutions that included - United Republic of Tanzania: Ministry of Works and Transport,Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC), Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC), Tanzania Police Marine, Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) Tanzania, Tanzania Shippers' Council (TSC), Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association (TAFFA); Republic of Zambia: Ministry of Transport and Communications, Mpulungu Harbor Corporation Ltd, ZAMBIA CARGO and Logistics Ltd; Democratic Republic of Congo: OGEFREM (Shippers Congolese Council), Kalemie Port, Maritime Authority-Kalemie (Commissariat Lacustre de Kalemie), President Des Armateurs de Kalemie, Amani Group Company Ltd (MV. Amani); Republic of Burundi: Burundi Maritime, Ports and Railway Authority, Burundi Revenue Authority, Burundi International Transporters Association. The Regional Economic Communities, development partners and other multinational service providers/stakeholders present were: Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), VIASERVICE Financial Services Ltd, Southern Highland Shipping and Consultancy and Trademark East Africa (TMEA).