Edward Qorro: TRUCK movements between Tanzania and Uganda has resumed following the two East African neighbours’ agreement on jointly implementing measures to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Mr William Mkenda, who is the Customs Officer in Charge at Mtukula border, truck drivers will now have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing in line with East African Community (EAC) guidelines to tackle the trans-border spread of the disease while minimizing disruptions to cross- border trade.
Mr Mkenda, who was briefing an EAC delegation that visited the border point, coronavirus testing requirements for truck drivers were meant to ensure that health risks associated with the deadly virus were mitigated.
During the visit, the delegation led by EAC Deputy Secretary General in Charge of Planning and Infrastructure Engineer Steven Mlote, also met and held discussions with the truck drivers at the border in a bid to assess the challenges encountered when crossing the border.
During the discussions, some of the drivers could not hide their dissatisfaction on how they were treated as far as the implementation of the measures was concerned.
In his rejoinder, Eng Mlote told truck drivers that ministers and permanent secretaries responsible for trade, health and EAC affairs held meetings and issued guidelines on how the truck drivers should be facilitated on their cross-border operations as partner states enforce measures to fight the pandemic.
He further emphasized the need to sensitize people against the stigmatisation of Covid-19.
“Parameters have been set, places, where the testing should take place and modalities of how it should be carried out, have been agreed upon by the partner states’ governments. It is only implementation that is varying from one country to another,” he said.
The EAC deputy secretary general disclosed that EAC issued administrative guidelines for uniform implementation of measures to allow free movement of cargo as envisaged under the EAC Common Market Protocol.
“The EAC Secretariat has been at the forefront in ensuring that the region is prepared and ready to deal with epidemics, pandemics, disasters and events of public health interest,” he further explained.
The Secretariat, under the EAC Mobile Laboratories Project, mobilised resources and has deployed mobile laboratories for each of the partner states to facilitate rapid detection of highly pathogenic organisms such as Ebola, Marburg and Coronavirus,” he added. AfricaPress-Tanzania
