The Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency Secretariat organized the 12th Stakeholders Consultative Committee (STACON) meeting in Kigoma from May 6th – May 9th 2019 at Lake Tanganyika Hotel in Kigoma, Tanzania. STACON Meeting brings together all CCTTFA transport, logistics and trade stakeholders from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda to discuss progress, achievements as well as challenges facing the Central Corridor. This year’s meeting was attended by over 70 delegates from the five Member Countries.
The meeting was officially opened by (Rtd) Colonel Michael Masala, District Commissioner (DC) Buhingwe, who represented the Regional Commissioner of Kigoma Region, Brigadier General Emmanuel Maganga. In his keynote speech the RC thanked CCTTFA for holding the STACON Meeting in Kigoma and reiterated Kigoma’s strategic geography as the ‘Distribution Hub’ as it is linked to Dar es Salaam port by rail/road and through the port of Kigoma with neighbouring countries of Burundi, DRC and Rwanda, offering a shorter and cheaper option of transporting goods, imports and exports.
The Stakeholders agreed on many recommendations which facilitate trade and transit transport between Central corridor member countries of Central Corridor including enhancing road safety by enforcing the East Africa Community (EAC) curriculum of driver training and testing and integrating road safety awareness, sensitization and education programmes for the general public as well as in schools.
STACON is an important pillar of the Central Corridor organization structure. During STACON meetings, stakeholders discuss various issues affecting the development of the corridor as well as validating reports including the central Corridor Monitoring Report prepared under the Transport Observatory Project.