The national government has announced plans to establish the Busia Jumuiya Market as a pilot project that will help small businesses engage in cross-border trade within the East African Community.
The announcement was made during a sensitization forum for cross-border traders held at Busia Polytechnic last week, where government officials outlined how the new market will transform Busia into a key regional commercial hub.
Principal Secretary Dr. Carolyne Karugu, speaking through Mr. Musa Okwemba from the State Department for East African Community Affairs, explained that the government is implementing a directive to set up Jumuiya markets at all Kenya's border crossing points.
The Busia market will serve as the first of these facilities, designed to enable small and medium enterprises to carry out cross-border trade in modern, properly equipped spaces.
According to officials, this initiative will significantly change Busia's role in the region and make it easier for traders to do business.
The government is also strengthening regional integration by establishing Regional Integration Centres at major border posts and deploying Regional Integration Officers to support East African Community commitments.
These officers will work to resolve cross-border trade challenges, improve coordination between government agencies, and ensure that businesses can fully benefit from regional integration opportunities.
Mr. Okwemba highlighted several trade facilitation tools that will help businesses navigate cross-border operations more easily. These include the EAC Simplified Guide for MSMEs, which provides details on import and export procedures, customs requirements, duties, taxes, and border processes.
Other tools mentioned were the EAC Simplified Trade Regime, One Stop Border Posts, and the annual EAC MSMEs Trade Fair. Officials also emphasised ongoing efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers that have been slowing down trade.
Busia County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Olekachuna Omuse, welcomed the sensitization forum, noting that it would help traders better understand the opportunities available under the simplified trade regime and encourage the use of official border crossings.
He stressed that increased use of official points requires capacity building and the establishment of strategic information desks at borders to reduce confusion and misinformation that traders often face.
The county has also invested in infrastructure to support value addition and expanded trade. These investments include an Export Processing Zone and the County Aggregation and Industrial Park, both aimed at encouraging local consumption of goods produced in the county through value addition.
However, traders who attended the forum raised serious concerns about challenges they continue to face. They pointed to inadequate infrastructure and congestion at the Busia One Stop Border Post, which increases the cost of doing business.
Many traders also complained about numerous unauthorised checkpoints and unpredictable taxation that makes it difficult to plan their operations. These issues remain major obstacles to smooth cross-border commerce.
Long-distance truck drivers also used the forum to call for better security along the Northern Corridor. They urged East African Community partner states to improve protection for transporters and traders operating across borders, expressing concern about their safety and that of their goods while in transit.
0 Comments