A Mano River Union (MRU) delegation lately concluded a profitable examine tour of the ‘Busia One Cease Border Submit’ (OSBP) between Kenya and Uganda, gaining worthwhile insights into environment friendly cross-border commerce programs that profit ladies merchants. The tour introduced collectively ladies merchants and border officers from Liberia and Sierra Leone, alongside representatives from the African Improvement Financial institution (www.AfDB.org).
The Busia OSBPs, one in every of East Africa’s busiest border crossings, dealing with over 3,000 individuals and 900 autos crossing day by day, has remodeled cross-border commerce since its institution in 2018. The power serves as a mannequin for streamlined border procedures between Kenya and Uganda, demonstrating vital enhancements in commerce effectivity and ladies’s financial empowerment.
Nelly Maina, Principal Gender Officer on the African Improvement Financial institution, who led the Financial institution delegation, mentioned the Busia OSBP exemplified how structured commerce facilitation and focused assist can drive financial empowerment for girls in cross-border commerce. “It brings out the significance of collaboration with authorities companies and the availability of important sources reminiscent of coaching, capability constructing and infrastructure, and the event of inclusive insurance policies that handle ladies’s particular wants.”
The tour was a part of the African Improvement Financial institution-funded Constructing Inclusive Enterprise Ecosystems for Stabilization and Transformation (BI-BEST) challenge, which goals to empower 1,500 ladies merchants in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The challenge focuses on enhancing participation in cross-border worth chains for resilient financial development and social cohesion.
The delegation held discussions with Kenya’s Ministry of Investments, Commerce and Trade, the Nationwide AfCFTA Committee, TradeMark Africa, Busia Border administration authorities, and native ladies cross-border merchants, who shared their experiences of the OSBP’s transformative influence.
Girls merchants from Kenya and Uganda detailed how the OSBP, operational since 2018, has enhanced their means to conduct enterprise seamlessly throughout borders. “I purchase Irish potatoes in Kenya and convey them to Uganda, then buy maize in Uganda and return it to Kenya. I’m now a fully-fledged cross-border dealer, enlightened and sensitized,” mentioned Mercy Mugo, a dealer in Busia city.
One other dealer, Florence Atieno, emphasised the broader social advantages of an inclusive commerce setting: “We consider that by addressing the crucial wants of girls in commerce, we will positively influence the neighborhood and promote the general financial well-being.”
Delegates from Sierra Leone and Liberia discovered the expertise notably inspiring. Betty R. Kamara from Sierra Leone famous: ” I’m impressed by how Kenyan ladies collaborate with safety officers and handle their companies alongside childcare obligations. Equally, Esther Tamba from Liberia acknowledged: “I’ll meet with my ladies’s affiliation, Good Seeds, in Liberia to share the teachings realized from Kenyan ladies merchants.
The tour highlighted the crucial function of infrastructure and coverage in making a safer, extra inclusive commerce setting for girls. For instance, on the Busia OSBP, a daycare heart has been established to assist ladies merchants and native enterprise homeowners, lots of whom beforehand needed to carry their infants to markets – exposing them to dangers reminiscent of baby trafficking, accidents, and abuse. This heart now supplies accessible, inexpensive childcare, enabling ladies to deal with commerce, entrepreneurship, and employment.
In accordance with the joint border administration committee, the Busia OSPB has remodeled cross-border commerce. Earlier than its institution, merchants endured lengthy clearance queues and complicated bureaucratic procedures, with ladies notably weak to safety dangers and missing storage amenities for unsold items. Many relied on intermediaries to facilitate their passage. Right this moment, simplified commerce Regimes (STRs), certificates of origin, and different accessible documentation have changed prolonged procedures, permitting ladies to handle their transactions independently. A devoted reporting desk now allows ladies to voice their issues, whereas new amenities—together with lactation rooms and safe storage areas—improve their buying and selling expertise.
By way of steady sensitization efforts by the Kenyan and Ugandan governments and the non-public sector, ladies merchants at the moment are extra knowledgeable about their rights and out there sources. Coaching classes present steerage on commerce procedures, documentation necessities, and dealer rights, fostering a extra inclusive buying and selling setting.
“By making use of these insights throughout the MRU, we look ahead to contributing to an inclusive enterprise ecosystem within the West Africa area,” mentioned Sierra Leone’s Betty Kamara.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Improvement Financial institution Group (AfDB).
