President Samia Suluhu Hassan, President Ruto Task Ministers to Clear Remaining 14 Barriers to Boost Trade

President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Kenyan, Dr William Ruto have tasked ministers to clear the remaining 14 barriers to boost trade between two sides.

According to President Samia, out of 68 trade barriers 54 have been cleared and the remaining 14 to be solved to boost trade between the two neighbouring counties.

She said they have tasked Ministers responsible for the Foreign Affairs to meet under the Joint Commission on Cooperation (JCC) to work on the matter.

Speaking at a joint press briefing at the State House in Dar es Salaam on Monday, 10 October, 2022, President Samia said Tanzania and Kenya have agreed to improve trade relations, the journey started during Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure.

“We [Samia and Uhuru] agreed to remove trade barriers…generally our experts identified 68 trade barriers, 54 were solved…these were non tariffs barriers, 14 have not yet been cleared,”

she said and directed responsible Ministers to meet immediately as the two sides determine to improve trade.

President Ruto, who concluded his two day maiden trip to Tanzania today, was optimistic that the barriers will be addressed before Christmas for people from both sides to trade freely.

on the other side, Ruto said trade between the two sides has grown phenomenally since in a period of one year, exports from Kenya to Tanzania rose from 31bn/- to 45bn/-.

On the other side, the Kenyan leader added, Tanzania has benefited more as in the said period, the largest country in East Africa’s exports to Kenya to 50bn/-.

“When you and Kenyatta were working on this barrier to trade, many people thought it would benefit Kenya but today it has benefited Tanzania more than Kenya…and now I think it is clear to everyone that an increase in trade benefits everybody,”

he added.

“We want to ask our officials, the ministers who are here and other technocrats the remaining 14 unsolved barriers identified by December this year. We should have concluded that process so that we can allow our people to trade in a better environment so that our people can benefit.

“The JCC can be held in December so that as we go for Christmas, before the end of this year our business people can trade better,”

Ruto said.

The meeting was well attended by senior officials from both neighboring countries.

After the lunch at the State House, President Samia bid him a farewell.

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