• Kenya Revenue Authority launched the eCUSTOMS app at Busia One Stop Border Post on the Kenya-Uganda border.

• Platform will reduce cumulative truck waiting time by 1,200 hours daily, saving small traders KES 750 per customs declaration.

• Busia OSBP, one of East Africa’s busiest border posts, has already cut clearance time by 80% since 2011.

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and the British High Commission (BHC), officially launched the eCUSTOMS app on November 24 at the Busia One Stop Border Post (OSBP), located on the Kenya-Uganda border. This new platform is designed to make customs declarations faster, paperless, and hassle-free for traders, transporters, and passengers.

"eCUSTOMS will ease cross-border trade and promote a conducive business environment by simplifying customs declarations and modernizing border operations," said Humphrey Wattanga, Commissioner General at KRA. "By enabling paperless and seamless processes, this platform will provide traders with faster, more accessible, and more transparent services."

The eCUSTOMS app aims to reduce border clearance time, boost transparency and compliance with regional customs laws, and support SMEs and transporters with easy-to-use digital tools, according to a statement on the GOV. In the UK, the new app will reduce cumulative truck waiting time by 1,200 hours daily at the Busia OSBP (about 1 hour per truck) and save small traders approximately KES 750 (about $5.78) per customs declaration.

The Busia border post is one of the busiest borders in East Africa, serving as a gateway to economic opportunities. Operationalization of the Busia OSBP led to a reduction in border clearance time by an average of 80% (from seven hours and fifty-three minutes in 2011 to two hours and nine minutes by July 2017), the statement reveals. The launch of the eCUSTOMS app is poised to accelerate this progress.

The eCUSTOMS app exemplifies how digital innovation can streamline cross-border trade, reduce delays, and lower transaction costs, aligning with core priorities of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Hikmatu Bilali