The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has launched a sensitisation drive targeting cross-border traders and clearing agents on the use of its digital business registration and clearance system to reduce delays and congestion at border points.
The initiative seeks to address complaints from traders over delays in the registration and clearance of goods at UNBS offices, which have contributed to congestion and increased costs for businesses operating at border points.
Speaking during a meeting with traders and clearing agents at Busia Border Point on Tuesday, Sylvia Kirabo, the UNBS Head of Public Relations and Marketing, said the digital system is intended to streamline service delivery and facilitate faster movement of goods.
Kirabo urged cross-border traders and clearing agents to embrace the UNBS E-Portal, which allows traders to submit the required documents online and proceed with their transactions without having to spend long periods at UNBS border offices. She said the sensitisation is aimed at equipping traders with the knowledge required to navigate the digital platform and use it effectively.
Kirabo also warned traders about masqueraders who allegedly pose as UNBS officials and urged businesses to work with the standards body to identify and combat fraud at border points.
The initiative was welcomed by traders, who said delays in clearing goods have for years affected their businesses, particularly those dealing in perishable commodities. Suleiman Benzula, Vice Chairperson of Busia Customs Traders, said the introduction of online business registration and clearance was long overdue, arguing that delays at UNBS offices have caused losses to many cross-border traders. He said traders dealing in fresh food are particularly affected because their commodities can spoil before they are cleared.
Benzula, however, accused UNBS of conducting what he described as unnecessary enforcement operations, saying the actions had pushed some traders out of business.
Badru Mbatudde Zulu, the Chairperson of the Busia Women Cross-Border Traders Association, also welcomed the E-Portal system, saying it could help reduce delays and improve the efficiency of cross-border trade. However, she appealed to UNBS management to review and reduce the number of requirements traders must meet before they can start importing goods.
Mbatudde said the lengthy requirements have prevented some traders from accessing opportunities to import goods from foreign markets. UNBS says the continued sensitisation of traders and clearing agents is intended to improve uptake of the digital system and ultimately reduce congestion, delays and other challenges affecting trade at Uganda’s border points-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
