Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to lift barriers on cross border trade, which has hindered the smooth flow of people and trade between the countries. Therefore, a joint team of experts will be set up to address the disjointed enforcement of cross-border Covid-19 containment protocols, which is one of the most pronounced non-tariff trade barriers between the two countries.
The decision was arrived at during bilateral talks led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, during her maiden visit to the country on 4th May 2021.
Furthermore, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the two countries have also agreed to reorganize their Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC), enabling it to deal with trade issues. The JCC will be tasked to ensure investors from either country do not face difficulties by ensuring a structured system is implemented.
We will strengthen railway, aviation, road, sea and lake transport. We also discussed the need to quicken the construction of the Malindi-Lungalunga-Bagamoyo Road to ease the movement of goods and people.
President Uhuru Kenyatta
The two countries also agreed to start working on a gas pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa as part of a long-term project to share energy resources. President Kenyatta said the resource would help Kenya meet its growing energy demand, lower energy costs, and help industries access environmentally friendly energy.
The MoU on Cooperation in Natural Gas Transportation means respective Ministers of Energy can start negotiating the design, cost and other logistical needs for the pipeline to be built. However, no timelines were given.
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