Northern Corridor Member States committed to open up their economies for Intra-African Trade
The Northern Corridor region, and indeed many parts of Africa continue to face a wide range of constraints including the lack of harmonized policies and regulations, poor infrastructure as well as efficient frameworks and procedures governing both trade and infrastructure development.
For the region to achieve socio-economic transformation, the development of reliable, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure systems, and especially transport infrastructure, is of prime importance. However, the levels of investment required for the development of large-scale regional infrastructure are often beyond the individual capacity of the countries; hence comes the importance of regional cooperation and international support-including financial support.
In this context, the Northern Corridor Member States of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Uganda committed to have high level bilateral discussions in order to develop the Mbarara-Bushenyi-Kikorongo-Mpondwe-Kasindi-Beni-Komanda-Kisangani road section (940Km) of the Northern Corridor Road Network.
Under the theme “Leveraging Trade Opportunities for Regional Integration”, the 31st sitting of the Council of Ministers of the Northern Corridor Transit and transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) held in Mombasa, Kenya, on 26th July 2019, reiterated the Member States commitments to develop cross border infrastructure to boost Intra-Africa Trade and advancing the regional integration agenda.
The Northern Corridor Council of Ministers identified the Mbarara-Kisangani Road as one of the missing links along the Trans-African Highway N0 8, from Mombasa to Lagos. Once constructed, it will open up the Eastern Part of DRC and promote Intra-African trade by exploiting the massive untapped economic potential in the region.
Efforts are also underway between the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of South Sudan to develop the Nadapal-Kapoeta-Torit-Juba road section of the Northern Corridor Road Network (340km) to ease the movement of goods and persons from Northern Part of Kenya to Juba, the Capital of South Sudan.
The Council of Ministers implored the AU Special Envoy and High Representative for Infrastructure Development, Right. Honourable Raila Odinga, to assist Member States in mobilizing resources for the development of cross border infrastructure projects while pledging to work closely with him in promoting regional infrastructure projects within the Northern Corridor; one of the major Transport Corridors in Africa.
While addressing the Ministers and their Representatives from Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda, Hon. Raila Odinga appreciated the work done by Northern Corridor countries and the efforts put in mainstreaming infrastructure as a tool for Africa’s integration.
“That we will never grow or prosper without good transport connections is now well understood”, said Raila, “We are all in agreement that there is a strong need for a policy to put in place a powerful regional and continental transport network across the 54 States to promote growth and competitiveness. We must connect East with West and North with South”. He added: “The dream now looks more real than ever. We have to pursue it with pride and a sense of history and duty”.
Hon. James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development who is the current Chairman of the Northern Corridor the Council of Ministers reiterated the commitment of the Government of the Republic of Kenya to work together with all the Northern Corridor Member States to support the Northern Corridor Secretariat to implement programs aimed at achieving all the objectives in the Northern Corridor Treaty.
“In Kenya, the transport sector has been singled out as a key pillar and critical enabler in the implementation of the Country's long term Development Strategy under the Vision 2030”, CS Macharia revealed.
“The Government’s National Integrated Transport Policy”, CS Macharia added, “has a mission to develop, operate and maintain an efficient, cost effective, safe, secure and integrated transport system that links the transport policy with other various sector policies, in order to achieve national and international development objectives in a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable manner”.
The 31st Northern Corridor Council of Ministers commended the ongoing developments in the exploitation of the potential of inland water resources; especially ongoing developments in the exploitation of the potential of inland water resources; especially the development of the Oil Jetty at Kisumu and similar facilities in Kampala to transport oil using Lake Victoria.