Ethiopian and Kenya have signed an operations manual for the Moyale OSBP (One Stop Border Post). The operations manual aims to help boost trade and investment between the two neighbors.
The manual will help government officials working at the OSBP implement coordinated border management operations. It is also expected to improve border crossing between Ethiopia and Kenya by making border clearance processes easier, faster and cheaper for traders, transporters, and travelers without compromise to the regulatory requirements.
This step came ten months after the commissioning of the facility in December by the leaders of the two countries, and its beginning of operations in June 2021.
The governments of Ethiopia and Kenya have held a consultative workshop at the Moyale OSBP and discussed opportunities the One Stob Border Post avails to traders, along with representatives from various public and private sector organizations from Ethiopia and Kenya.
Debele Kabeta, Commissioner of the Ethiopian Customs Commission, said that though the two countries enjoy long ties, trade connectivity has been “quite insignificant” compared to the potential. “Currently, the situation is changing and the volume and diversity of goods traded between Ethiopia and Kenya is growing at a higher rate," he added, highlighting that the Moyale OSBP will boost trade relations and free movement of people between Ethiopia and Kenya.
Kennedy Nyaiyo, Kenya’s head of delegation and the secretary of Kenya’s Border Management Secretariat, for his part, said his country is committed to promoting trade between the two nations. “The signing of the procedure manual will guarantee that all processes have been reviewed and harmonised. This will ensure that trading and cooperation between Kenya and Ethiopia is efficient and effectively facilitated,” he remarked.
The one stop border post is expected to improve trade volumes, increase efficiency in doing business, foster community cohesion and development, and strengthen relationships between Kenya and Ethiopia.
The construction of the Moyale OSBP was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the governments of Ethiopia and Kenya.
Source (Including Image): The Star - Kenya
