ADDIS ABABA-Ethiopia has triggered to revise border trade agreements with neighboring countries, Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI) said.
Wondimu Filate, Ministry Communications Affairs Director told The Ethiopian Herald that Ethiopia has put in place the revision and reactivation of the agreements due to inactive rendezvous of neighborhood countries like Somalia republic, Somaliland, Sudan, Kenya as well as Djibouti. Usher
Ethiopia has been working and keeping in touch with Boundary Commissions of the neighborhood states in reviewing and reactivating the border agreements. The agreement is believed to usher remarkable benefit for the border communities at most, he noted.
As to him, the new revised agreement aimed at promoting the
prevalence of active, fair as well as safe trade relations among countries in
the region.
The agreements review mainly
emphasizes on devising mechanisms which help to reduce informal currency
exchange, control contrabandists and eradicate intimidating trade from boarder
areas, it was learnt.
Ethiopia has an age-long cross border trade agreements with neighboring countries. Thus, it is essential to maintain the previous agreements which enable the country to export abundant agricultural products and livestock and in return legally import industrial product.
Wondimu also noted that revising and reactivating the trade agreements has a vital role to maintain healthy and strong bilateral relations which foster the realization of legal trade flow among nations in accordance with international trade law.
Ethiopian Customs Commission on his part said that the Commission was striving hard to ensure legal and fair trade system in boarder areas.
Ashenafi Bassa, Commission’s Customs Compliance Division Head told The Ethiopian Herald that the major objective of the boarder trade agreement is to control contrabandists and their by ensure legal import and export trade.
Contraband trade has debauched impacts on political, social-economic aspects of the country. The expansion of contrabandists has an adverse effect upon tax collection. Hence, the government which relay on tax will face difficulty to allocate budget and addresses the quests of growing unemployed youth.
Above all, the worst part of contraband trade is smuggling of medicines, cosmetics, other consumers’ goods which directly or indirectly connected with the daily life of the public, Ashenafi said.
To alleviate problems related to illegal border trade, the commission has been working in collaboration with concerned authorities. Thus, the commission has called on the society to participate in the effort to reduce illegal border trade which is a potential threat for the overall development of the country.
According to Ashenafie, Customs Commission, has opened new check points (Rama and Bure) to control and facilitate the swift flow of the import-export as well as border trade.
The Ethiopian Herald, May 30/2019
BY MULATU BELACHEW
