CCTTFA conducted its 13th annual stakeholders meeting form 16th – 18th November where stakeholders from each member states participated in country meetings facilitated by CCTTFA Secretariat. On November 19th 2020 Plenary meeting was held virtually where each member state presented their deliberations from their 3 days meeting. The meeting was held virtually due to travel restrictions imposed bedcuase of COVID-19 pandemic. CCTTFA development partners including NEPAD IPPF, Africa Development Bank (AFDB) and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) country representatives in Rwanda, Burundi and from HQ in Nairobi also participated in the plenary meeting and pledged their support to CCTTFA development agenda.
STACON is the 3rd organ of CCTTFA Institutional Framework and holds its meetings annually rotating amongst member states.
Stakeholders from Tanzania participating in the 13th Annual STACON Meeting held at Four Points New Africa Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Key strategic interventions on the Central Corridor which are under implementation in Tanzania include: Modernization of the port of Dar es Salaam, construction of the modern Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), rehabilitation of the current Meter Gauge railway, commissioning of the new Wagon Ferry on Lake Victoria, rehabilitating wagons and procuring new ones to improve efficiency of Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC), rehabilitation of Karema Port on Lake Tanganyika and the proposed Katosho Dry Port as an extension of Dar es Salaam Port will strategically connect Tanzania with the business communities from DRC, Burundi and Rwanda.
A group photo of stakeholders from Burundi participating in the 13th Annual STACON Meeting held at Royal Palace Hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi. Projects being implemented by Burundi government to enhance trade facilitation along the Central Corridor and line with CCTTFA mandate include: Railway project Uvinza-Musongati linking to the main Railway line in Dar es Salaam. The same will also connect Kindu in DRC. Multi-modal interventions on Lake Tanganyika that will link Burundi to Tanzania, DRC and Zambia through Lake Transport. Other projects include road projects linking Burundi with the western part of Tanzania, roads through Mugina – Manyovu Border, Gisuru-Kibondo road; in addition to the multinational road through Kabanga/Kobero border.
DRC stakeholders participating virtually on 13th STACON Meeting from Bukavu, Eastern DRC. Infrastructure project that DRC government is implementing with support from various development partners include rehabilitation work on Kalundu port with the support from TMEA initiated by the Central Corridor, feasibility study for Uvira- Bukavu road and these projects will connect Eastern DRC to the Port of Dar es Salaam aimed at reducing cost of doing business for DRC traders.
Stakeholders from Rwanda participating in the 13th Annual STACON Meeting held at Highland Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. Projects being implemented by the Rwandan government along the Central Corridor include Lake Kivu Transport Program and the support to carry out a feasibility study for the development of road side stations along the Corridor.
Stakeholders from Uganda participating in the 13th Annual STACON Meeting held at Protea Hotel in Kampala, Uganda. The Ugandan government is planning to implement the following projects along the Central Corridor to ensure it keeps being the route of choice: investing in a new port at Bukasa which will handle freight on Lake Victoria, Jinja port will be left for fisheries and ship yard and Port Bell will handle tourism and passenger vessels and the rehabilitation of MV Pamba that will carry wagons along Lake Victoria.