More than 10,000 small-scale women traders engaged in cross-border business in the East African Community (EAC) have been trained on laws governing trade among the member countries.

The women drawn from Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia and Eritrea have been trained on various areas including taxation laws and common market protocol.

Speaking at Green Park Hotel in Taveta, Taita-Taveta County on Monday, Eastern African Sub Regional Support Initiative For Advancement of Women (EASSI) project coordinator Ms Ruth Warutere said the women were also being sensitised on using official border posts while crossing the border.

“Some of them were using illegal routes to escape custom charges. They did not know that it is cheaper than using these escape routes,” Ms Warutere said.

Goods stolen

She said some businesswomen at the border had complained that their goods were being stolen by rogue bodaboda operators and thieves along the border.

“Some women did not know that it would be more expensive to use these routes because they pay more transport charges that when they use the border points,” she said.

She said the organisation also helps the women traders get a certificate of origin, which exempts them from paying taxes of goods worth 2000 dollars.

“Some traders don’t know about this and other opportunities. We normally train them on such opportunities and laws governing each trade,” she said.

On the other hand, the organisation’s project officer, Manisurah Aheebwa, urged the East African member states to harmonise laws which don’t favour women in cross-border business.

Complicated laws

Ms Aheebwa said the traders from individual member states were facing complicated laws when doing business in neighbouring country due to absence of common market laws.

“Traders from Uganda complain that they are not allowed to buy agricultural products from individual farmers in Kenya. On the contrary, Kenyan traders purchase the same products from individual farmers in Uganda,” she said.

At the same time, women traders at the Taveta/Holili border complained that their interests were not catered for in other countries making it hard to do business in Tanzania.

They cited harassment by Tanzanian customs officials especially along the Taveta/Holili border.

The traders say the harassment goes against the spirit of integration and free movement of goods and services in the region.

“The ease of cross border trade in the neighbouring country has remained to be a dream. We fear using the official border points because some of the officers at the border impose unnecessary fees yet we are small scale traders,” said Bibiana Malia.

Bribery

Ms Malia said some of the officers confiscate their goods and demand bribe.

She also complained that while their Tanzanian counterparts were being allowed to freely trade in Kenya, they were not allowed to freely move in Tanzania.

“It is very unfair because for them they don’t even pay any tax and some of them own shops in Taveta. For us we cannot even own a small stall in Tanzania,” they said.

Holili OCS Issac Munuo urged the traders to follow the laid down procedures when doing their business.

He said some of the traders who complained of harassment were found breaking the law.

“If you follow the law you will not be harassed. I urge you to follow the law of each country because if you do you’ll not be at war with government officers,” he said.