Tanzania bets on one stop trade portal to boost international commerce
Traders in Tanzania stand to benefit from increased efficiency following launch of the Trade Information Portal in Tanzania (www.tantrade.go.tz), which has consolidated more than 100 documents and procedures required for import and export business in Tanzania on one online platform.
The portal is estimated to serve at least 1.5 million users per month and publishes information on 84 procedures made up of 336 steps, 851 forms and documents, 140 contact persons, 88 norms and laws.
It covers 11 priority product groups (6 products for export and import, thus ensuring a shorter period in the export and import processes.
Completion and launch of the information portal make Tanzania the fourth country in the East Africa Community (EAC) to fulfil Article 1 of WTO Trade Facilitation agreement which requires member states to publish their trade procedures online, displaying them step-by-step, with contact information on enquiry points, access to forms and other required documents and all relevant trade and customs laws.
Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) implemented the portal with financial support of approximately US$ 498,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA). United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) provided technical assistance.
Presiding over the launch, the Zanzibar Minister for Industry and Trade, Hon. Omar Shaban (MP) said, “The Tanzania trade portal is part of the Government’s initiative to facilitate trade in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation, to which Tanzania is a signatory and obliges governments to be transparent and to provide information to businesses.”
Also speaking at the launch TanTrade Mr. Rutegaruka said: “If you are a trader, the portal will enable you to access all the relevant documentation requirements for imports and/or exports of your respective commodities from the comfort of your office or place of business. Our aim is to boost Tanzania’s efforts to become a globally competitive player in the overall share of trade in the world. It provides the current, potential traders and other stakeholders with total transparency on rules and procedures pertaining to import and export formalities, through detailed, practical and up-to-date descriptions of steps to go through, as seen from the user’s point of view to assist them to make informed business decisions,” Mr. Rutegaruka explained.
