REPORT ON THE WORLD BANK SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN TRANSPORT POLICY PROGRAMME (SSATP) REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES-TRANSPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (REC-TCC) WORKSHOP, HELD IN COTONOU, BENIN, ON 15^TH – 19^TH OCTOBER 2012.

The workshop was the next in the bi-annual series of REC-TCC workshops; following on from that held in Mombasa in March 2012.  FESARTA did not attend that workshop.

The workshop was funded by SSATP; as was FESARTA’s travel and accommodation.

The  objectives of the workshop were:

• To increase coordination of regional integration programmes and activities in the transport sector
• To improve corridor performance monitoring
• To prepare the road map for a reform of the road transport industry in West Africa.

Around 60 delegates were representatives of the RECs, ALCO and regional associations in sub-Saharan Africa.

The workshop was opened by the Minister of Public Works and Transport in Benin.

The workshop was chaired by Jean-Paul Libebele, chairman of the REC-TCC.

The Union of African Transport Logistics (UATL) was registered in 2010.

FESARTA believed that it was too early for such an African association.  Transport operations did not cover the whole of Africa.  Could it really solve transporters’ problems “on the ground”.  How could it be financially sustained, when National and Regional associations were already having difficulty?  Rather have a West African association, which would network with FESARTA and other regional associations.

Delegates were very interested in the structure and operation of the Non-Tariff Barrier system, as set up in the COMESA/EAC/SADC Tripartite.  They were also keen to know what the proposed sticker looked like and what information was on it.  FESARTA would circulate it to interested delegates, for their input.

SSATP carried out a road transport survey in East Africa.

It found that the East African trucking industry was moving from trucking to logistics.

Over 50% of trucks purchased were between 6 and 15 years old.

Over 50% of executive management were graduates.

As a whole, the countries did not allow the importation of trucks more than 10 years old.

The road transport system in West Africa was in need of reform and a roadmap of the process to achieve this, would be developed.

A model bi-lateral road transport agreement would be developed; to assist countries in developing their transport system.

SSATP carried out a transport observatory along the Northern Corridor.

Malaba/Tororo, Busia and Gatuna/Katuna border posts were “choke” monitored by TLC.

1100 trucks per day (in both directions) transited Malaba border.  250 through Busia and 170 through Gatuna/Katuna.

Malaba was almost a one-stop border post.

Whilst customs at Malaba agreed to operate 24/7, the other agencies (immigration, health, police, etc) would not.  Also the clearing agents would not work 24 hours.  Hence customs questioned the justification for 24/7.

There was a 21 km queue at Malaba during the survey.

There was also monitoring of the Mombasa port, though it did not include the time a ship spent at anchorage, waiting to be served by the port.

SSATP carried out choke monitoring of several borders, in Southern Africa using TLC.

The results were still being analysed and were not available for circulation.

The monitoring of the North-South Corridor by TMSA was also presented.

SSATP carried out a transport observatory on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor.

There was less harmonization in West Africa, than in East and Southern Africa; particularly in the standardization of load limits.  There was insufficient cooperation between member states.

The truck fleet was older than that in E&S Africa.

Roadblocks were a continuing barrier to trade facilitation.  There was disagreement as to how many would be acceptable, though the recommendation was:  one at the port, one at the each border and one at destination.

Three borders were being developed into OSBPs and some construction was already going ahead.

Border crossing times for the four borders along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, were on average higher than East and Southern Africa.

Out of the 8 crossings (Eastwards and Westwards for the 4 borders), three of them took more than 4 days.

A transport observatory was being set up on the Dar Corridor and was producing some information.

When fully operational, it would use a combination of satellite tracking and sourcing information from the revenue authorities.

The various presentations showed that there was a mix of objectives, methodologies and indicators amongst the corridor monitoring processes.

However, it was good to see so much monitoring taking place.  It provided substantial information to those undertaking interventions to improve transport efficiency.

The meeting agreed that there was a minimum of three indicators to be used in transport observatories:  volume (tons, direction, countries), level of service (price for a 20’ container) and time (port dwell time, border transit time, %age stationary time to overall trip time).

There were some examples of trends and these were important to assess the effects of interventions.

The meeting agreed that a Working Group would be set up to develop a roadmap detailing the implementation of the transport observatories.

The report of the Working Group would be required before the SSATP Annual Meeting on 12^th December 2012.

The meeting noted the progress of the transport liberalization process in SADC.

 

Barney Curtis.