Ambassador Patrick Mugoya,
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday received
computer equipment worth 10,000 USD from Trade Mark East Africa as part of the
roll-out of Phase 2 of the Uganda Electronic Single Window (UESW). The UESW is
the system through which all MDAs will be sharing information pertaining to
trade and customs clearances electronically, enhancing clearance efficiency and
reducing time taken to exit cargo. The Danish Government (DANIDA) funded the first
phase of the UESW with a 5 million USD grant channeled through TradeMark East
Africa, followed by another 5 million USD for phase 2.
The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs is a major stakeholder in the clearance of Diplomatic Cargo for
Diplomatic Missions, persons and entities resident in Uganda, as well as
Uganda's Diplomatic staff on return of duty into Uganda. The Equipment which is
meant to facilitate the addition onto the UESW of the MoFA, was handed over by
Mr Moses Sabiiti, Country Director of TradeMark East Africa and witnessed by
senior officials officials and representatives from the Ministries of Tourism,
Trade, and Industry, URA, and NITA-U.
The first phase of the
Electronic Single window brought under one roof, key government agencies
involved in the import and export process. They are: Uganda Revenue Authority,
Uganda National Bureau of Standards, National Drug Authority (NDA), Ministry of
Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Ministry of Energy and
Mineral Development (MoEMD), Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and
Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB). By the end of phase 2, it is expected
that there will be 22 Government Ministries, Department and Agencies
interfacing on the window.
Following a successful
trial period at the Ministry Headquarters in Kampala, the system is expected to
be rolled out to Uganda's Embassies and Consulates as the Economic and
Commercial Diplomacy strategy is implemented. The newly opened Uganda Consulate
in Mombasa which oversees the import and export of goods through the Port of
Mombasa will be linked to the window as well. It will contribute to the
reduction in time taken to import to Uganda from Dar-Es-Salaam and Mombasa
ports.
Amb. Mugoya welcomed
the roll-out of phase 2 stating that the introduction of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs onto the ESEW would facilitate and reduce on human interaction
and would expedite decision-making and turn-around time for clearances. Among
the benefits of the new system for the Diplomatic Community will be a reduction
in physical movement, time spent will reduce from 2-3 days to 3 hours, there
will be improved coordination and information sharing. "It moves us to a
totally different level in terms of efficiency," he said.
The Permanent Secretary
emphasized, however, that given the nature of its constituency, MoFA would
retain exclusive control and management on user access controls for certain
areas of the system in order to fulfill its obligations and exercise requisite
protections of privileges and immunities under the various Vienna Conventions
on Diplomatic Relations and Consular Relations to which it is a party.
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