About 80 000 traders and their families in Africa’s Great Lakes Region should benefit from greater food security, more jobs, and an overall increase in welfare as a result of a $79 million International Development (IDA) grant and credit approved by the World Bank.

The financing will support the Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project, which is designed to reduce the costs faced by traders from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda. It will help to develop regional markets near border crossings and facilities to handle an increased flow of goods, services, and people, as well as provide resources to strengthen government agencies.

For many communities in the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, key markets are situated across the border and informal cross-border trade plays a major role in linking small producers to markets. Border crossing points, such as Petite Barrière in Goma, DRC which averages 20 000 to 30 000 crossings a day, can become major bottlenecks for traders trying to reach potential buyers.

The funds will go toward improving core trade infrastructure and facilities to provide efficient and secure traffic flows of pedestrians, passengers, and commercial vehicles at border crossing points. It will also improve security of small-scale traders, through separate lanes for pedestrians, lighting and cameras, as well as provide warehouses. These improvements should reduce the time it takes to move across borders and allow traders to take multiple trips a day and increase their incomes.

Infrastructure improvements at the border will be accompanied by better border management and governance and better-trained officials. The project will promote functioning mechanisms for addressing complaints and resolving disputes, increase safety and reduce the scope for harassment.