Written by Jacqueline Emodek and Photos by Benezeri Wanjala, Customs Planning
Women traders in Busia have appreciated Uganda Revenue Authority for the continuous sensitization and on the eased clearance processes at the One Stop Border Post.
Speaking at an engagement with customs management, association chairperson Rukiah Sebbi expressed appreciation saying the border post has eased movement and clearance of goods.
“We used to pass through the bushes with our goods but now we know that we can pass through here and be helped with tax clearance,” she said.
During the engagement, the women shared challenges affecting their trades including lack of ramps for women with disabilities, lack of coolers for perishable goods, the closure of Sofia and Maracha markets as well as the need for a passage created within the OSBP for bicycles and carts as the current ones only provide for vehicles.
In response, URA’s Assistant Commissioner Compliance and Business Analysis Asadu Kisitu said URA provided for a lift in the OSBP design to assist People with Disabilities. He also committed to lobby for more space to cater for pedestrians and carts and adjust the OSBP designs like Mpondwe OSBP which has a refrigeration system because it deals in fish.
Asadu further pledged more support to the traders to ease business processes at the border.
“A lot has changed and we are currently stakeholder centric; we are happy that the challenges that affected you directly have reduced and now we are going to work on strategies to make it easy for you to trade,” he said.
The Assistant Commissioner Customs Audit-James Malinzi tasked the women to also foster voluntary compliance among their male counterparts.
This engagement is a result of URA teaming up with Trade Mark East Africa and the East African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) to empower the women with skills such as record keeping and goods clearance to grow their businesses. The engagements are also hinged on URA’s partnership with women traders to streamline their businesses.
