The 29th meeting of Council of Ministers and the 43rd Executive Committee meeting of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA)

During the joint Technical Committee meetings on Infrastructure Development and Management and Private Sector Investment Promotion held back to back from from 15-19 May 2017 at Roca Golf Hotel, in Bujumbura, Burundi, among other areas, Stakeholders discussed and shared best practices on how to enhance the Private Sector participation in the design of transport infrastructure development projects namely: rehabilitation and upgrading of roads; the Standard Gauge Railway; development of Road Side Stations; Development of the integrated inland waterways transport system; Development of Port facilities and pipeline developments; and Public-Private Partnerships institutional framework and initiatives; Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Programs and Joint Transport and Trade Facilitation Committees in the Great Lakes Region as well as the Promotion of the Northern Corridor Green Freight Program.

More than 50 delegates from Member States of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda attended the first meeting of the Northern Corridor Public and Private Stakeholders Committee on 8th March 2017 at Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya, with the aim to inaugurate the re-invigorated Committee and bring economic operators to update one another on the status of collaboration between the private and public sectors.

The COP 22 Conference stressed on Sustainable freight plans which include reducing transport and emission intensities, optimizing supply chains, and improving fuel efficiency. The captains of the Transport industry who were gathered in Marrakech urged African countries to leverage on existing frameworks such as the Northern Corridor Green Freight Programme and share knowledge on these successful initiatives.

From June 2014 to June 2016, some indicators especially the Maritime have been achieved. Prior to 2014 on average, vessel waiting time was 2.5 days though some vessels waiting up-to 7 days. Currently the vessel waiting time is less than 10 hours where the target is 24 hours. Good progress was also registered as regards the vessel turnaround time where prior to 2014, was between 5 and 7 days. Currently vessel turnaround time is at an average of about 3.5 days. Target is 3 days.

In partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) is undertaking its five year (2017-2021) Green Freight Programme which is aimed at supporting a number of initiatives intended to reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions in the Northern Corridor Member States. The Green Freight Programme is a launching pad of a phased implementation of a holistic Sustainable Freight Transport Strategy which entails, in particular, sustainable transport policies, planning strategies and investment decisions that effectively balance the economic, environmental and social objectives.

On behalf of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mr. JUSTIN KAMWANYA KALEMUNA LEMS, Chairman of the NCTTCA Executive Committee officially submitted the ratification instruments of the Northern Corridor Agreement to the Executive Secretary of NCTTCA