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Encourage cross-border trade to forge unity
2005-09-30 09:58:57
By Editor
African countries keep complaining that they are subjected to unfair trade competition, imposed on them by multinationals based in industrialized countries.
Such complaints are common in meetings held in either the developing or developed world. And Africans use such meetings to voice their positions of economic and financial weaknesses.
It is true that the majority of countries in Africa are economically weak when compared with countries in the developed world.
Africa has attempted to work together in political and economic blocs such as the East African Community or the Southern African Development Community.
Such efforts are commendable and we can say they could have come much earlier, to help the continent out of the political and economic weaknesses.
Stronger political and economic blocs will surely strengthen the continent’s voice in regional and international meetings and fora and make her a power to reckon with in the world that has become a global village.
However, efforts to make Africa live in political and economic unity are sometimes frustrated by individuals who do not, deliberately or otherwise, work for the common good of the people.
Examples of such frustrations are many but we would like to refer to complaints raised recently by businesspersons in Kibondo District, Kigoma Region.
At a meeting with their District Commissioner, the business community said that cross-border trade was being frustrated by some members of the Police Force and security organs.
Members of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture told their DC that traders from Burundi who enter Kibondo District legally to sell and purchase commodities were often harassed and this impact negatively on their business.
Without doubt, those harassing the traders do it for one thing namely, to line the pockets of their uniforms with bribes. And because the traders do not want to waste their time, they agree to offer bribes.
Such actions are despicable and should not be entertained, if we want to build strong regional trade.
They do not only besmirch the good name of the Police Force but also make regional economic integration difficult, if not impossible.
Cross-border trade is unavoidable, as long as it is legally done. Countries that share borders do not only benefit from trade but also promote good neighbourliness.
We therefore commend the Kibondo District Commissioner, Lt Colonel John Mzurikwao, for promising that he would follow up claims made by TCCIA members.
Understandably, he appealed to traders to desist from giving bribes to members of security organs. This however, is easily said than done.
We hope that the DC will make a follow up to the claims and would not hesitate to take stern measures against those making life difficult for cross-border business men and women.
The intention of Tanzanians, especially those living near borders, should be to strengthen cordial relationship with their neighbours and not to disrupt them under whatever circumstances.
To build strong political and economic blocs we should not allow actions that frustrate the efforts to forge African unity.
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