Sighs of relief as Dar cuts toll on Rwandan trucks

Dar el saalam Port

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has finally bowed to Kigali’s demands to lower the road toll on Rwanda’s trucks heading into the country. The move came after negotiations in Kampala on Tuesday between Finance Minister William Mgimwa and his Rwandese counterpart, Mr Claver Gatete.

Dar el Salam Port

Speaking on the phone from Kampala yesterday, Dr Mgimwa told The Citizen that the government had lowered the rate to $152 (about Sh243,200) from the previous $500 (about Sh800,000) per truck.

He explained: “We finally realised that if we stuck to our guns, Tanzania was likely to suffer because our colleagues have fewer vehicles entering our country compared to our trucks headed for Rwanda.”

Dr William Mgimwa,Tanzanian Minister of Finance

Dr Mgimwa said he had sent Mr Gatete a letter confirming the new rates. Mr Gatete’s phone went unanswered but the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) commissioner general, Mr Ben Kagarama, confirmed that Kigali had received Dr Mgimwa’s letter.

“I have just been informed by my minister that the rates have been lowered and we have also decided to opt for the old charges as well,” said the RRA boss. “We have cancelled the new rates that came into effect on September 1.

Meanwhile, a humanitarian crisis had started building up yesterday as hundreds of drivers and illegal immigrants stranded at Rusumo border exerted pressure on social services and the environment.

A pile-up of trucks extended for about five kilometres in Rusumo Township and for three kilometres to Benaco village as drivers awaited clearance at the border.

Hundreds of immigrants from Rwanda who were to be repatriated were also stuck at the border as Tanzanian officials accused their Rwandan counterparts of bureaucracy and reluctance to clear the passage of immigrants into Rwanda.

Mr Kadende Mhuru, the village chairman at Rusumo village, told The Citizen on the phone: “It is a crisis.

More than eight trucks arrived this morning with illegal immigrants. Drivers are also stuck here and across the border. We just cannot feed them all.”

Tanzania has embarked on an exercise to drive out illegal immigrants to reduce crime and pressure on the environment and social services.

President Jakaya Kikwete ordered the immigrants to leave voluntarily and a campaign to force them out got underway when the deadline expired.

Ngara District Officer Constantine Kanyatu admitted having a crisis on his hands despite preparations to accommodate immigrants at the border for a short period.

Mr Kanyatu added: “We have prepared food for them and arranged for a mobile clinic to provide health services when needed.”

“But, as we did not anticipate a long stay, we did not prepare tents. The problem is that Rwandan officials are taking too long to clear the immigrants.”

He blamed the drivers for the pile up of trucks, saying they knew in advance that the transit fees would rise if no deal was reached by Monday.

An immigration officer said, however, that Rwanda had not charged the $500 per truck yesterday and that the cause of the pile-up was poor internet communications at the Tanzania Revenue Authority offices.

Some trucks had to be allowed to park on the Rwandan side of the border to ease the pressure.

Last week, the Rwandan government raised to $500 (about Sh800,000) entry charges per truck up from the previous $152 (about Sh243,200), arguing that the charge corresponded with what Tanzania was charging Rwandan trucks at Rusumo.

Tanzania opted to negotiate the new rates after the Tanzania Truck Owners Association protested that the new rates would hit their business if the government did not intervene.

Last week, trucks ferrying goods destined for Rwanda stretched some 20 kilometres from the border. Rwanda temporarily suspended its own charges pending further negotiations.

The Citizen

NIZEYIMAMA JEAN