By William Garang
King News 30th Sept Juba —The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) today held an extraordinary meeting in Juba to revise its procurement policy and clamp down on rampant corruption in trade among member states. The aim is to ensure the smooth flow of cargo.
Bageya Waiswa, the Permanent Secretary for the Ugandan Ministry of Works and Transport and Chairman of the Northern Corridor Executive Committee, explains. “The program is geared to ensure that goods move uninterruptedly so that at the end of the day, the time of reaching is reduced, the time spent on the way for the good to reach South Sudan or Uganda is reduced,” Waiswa said.
“We aim at reducing the cost of doing business; when the cost of doing business is reduced, then the cost of goods and services is also reduced to the benefit of our citizens,”
He added that the Northern Corridor would review procurement policy to seal corruption leaks. “Today, we are reviewing the procurement policy – we want to look at the code of conduct and some other policies.”
Mr. Waiswa cited the procurement department as infected with graft, asserting that 70% of corruption cases are procurement-related. “So, if you don’t handle procurement properly, you will promote corruption in the first instance.” he added, “Secondly, you will miss out on the value of money of what you get, so that is why we want to streamline this particular area,”
To clampdown on graft, the chairperson revealed that the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) has introduced a digital system to check on cargos, one-stop-shop at border points to stop multi taxation.
“We have now introduced the electric system of checking cargo, it is quite efficient. You don’t have to unpack the container when the vehicle or containers approaches. They can see what is inside,” he clarified. “We have taken measures to modernize the way bridges so that eventually they will not be manned by people they will be manned by computers.”
He stated that Northern Corridor had managed to manage to cope up with the volume of business increases, adding that member states are doing their best to put infrastructure in place.
Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) member in a group Photo today in Juba after an extraordinary meeting (Photo credit: William Garang, King News)
Waiswa emphasized that the major challenge is lack of human resource capacity, corruption and key infrastructures – such as roads, bridges and river transport for easy access of goods in the region.
Dr. Deng Diar Diing, the Executive Secretary for the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) said the Corridor invest processes that enhance custom and infrastructure development.
Dr. Deng Diar Diing, Executive Secretary for the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority. (Photo Credit: King News)
“In the case of South Sudan, we already have initiatives that are in place, one of which is related to the processes is the automation of custom system for the country.”
Diar said they had already engaged the government of South Sudan and donors for resource mobilization for an automated custom system. “Once that is done, then our cargos shall be secured from the port of Mombasa all the away to Juba. It will not have to be disturbed or unpacked along the way.”