Ugandan traders petition gov’t as Tanzania bans rice and maize exports
MASAKA – Traders under Kampala Rice Traders Association have urged government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives [MTIC] to intervene in a matter where authorities in Tanzania have impounded Ugandan trucks loaded with rice and maize from Tanzania.
On June 13, 2023, the government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Agriculture issued a directive banning Ugandan traders from exporting rice and maize from Tanzania to Uganda.
The Ministry in conjunction with the Tropical Research Institute and Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority is conducting an assessment exercise on seasons, availability of corn, and manufacturing conditions of foods in the country for the 2023/2024 financial year. It has temporarily suspended the issuance of permits for the export of corn, corn flour, and rice.
‘Permits for exportation for corn, corn flour, and rice has been temporarily suspended until the government completes the assessment exercise availability of crop seasons, shipping of corn and manufacturing conditions,” the letter reads in part.
Still, the government of Tanzania has also reminded all traders to acquire the documents required for trading in crops originating from the country.
And in enforcing the directive, the authorities in Tanzania impounded about 200 heavy trucks loaded with rice and maize and stopped them from crossing to Uganda through Mutukula One-Stop Border Post.
This has angered the Ugandan traders and, in their letter, dated June 16, 2013, they want minister Mwebesa to reach out to Tanzanian authorities over the matter.
The chairperson of Kampala Rice Traders Association, Livingstone Ssenyonga says many traders get rice and maize as far as Kahama and Maji Moto areas which are s 460 kilometres and 800 km from the Mutukula border.
“The action by Tanzania is a non-tariff barrier aimed at pushing Ugandan traders out of business yet Tanzania continues to import products from Uganda,” he said.
Henry Lukyamuzi, one of the rice traders accused Tanzania of abusing the East African Community Common Market Protocol which promotes free movement of goods and services in the Community as long as they are produced within.
Joseph Nkunda was found at the border stranded with his 39 tons of rice, saying that he was incurring unplanned expenses for feeding and accommodating a truck driver he hired from Tanzania.
The Ugandan traders want Tanzania to give them a grace period of two weeks to evacuate their consignments to Uganda.
The rice traders also copied their letter to Rebecca Kadaga, Second Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, the Permanent Secretary in MTIC, the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority [URA], and others.
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