Tax body, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has Friday launched a Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTs), together with two more programs in a move to facilitate ease of trade and Business East Africa.
The program which saw the development of RECTs, the Document Processing Centre (DPC) and accreditation of new Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) was jointly funded by the Trade Mark East Africa, a nonprofit businesses supporting initiative aimed at the growth of trade and URA.
The three programmes will create ease in monitoring of transit of cargo under customs control in the Northern Corridor countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.
RECTs which will track cargo on transit from end to end (port to destination) includes satellite monitoring and rapid response units meant to eliminate non-tariff barriers in order to reduce transit times as well as reduce the cost of doing business.
In the same Development, a single Document Processing Centre situated at URA headquarters in Nakawa, Kampala is now charged with all documentary check function for all customs declaration.
In her remarks, URA Commissioner General Doris Akol noted that RECTs will improve Cargo security there by providing regional viewing rights by both internal and external stakeholders.
“Coordinated responses to alerts by Rapid Response Units will provide real time detection of transit violations including thefts, diversions there by ensuring security of the goods in transit,” she said.
Ms Akol said that one of the products set to be unveiled on the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System is a web-based integrated system to enable monitoring and control at different Command centres.
By the time of the launch, RECTs satellites and central command centres had already been set up in each of the revenue authorities in Nairobi, Kampala and Kigali.
