NTB BulleTiNJanuary 2016 | Issue #1

natIonal response strategy foe elImInatIon of non-tarIff BarrIers

A countrywide media campaign to promote elimination of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) using the NTB Reporting System – on USSD Code *201# - has kicked off with 13 media firms on board. Media partners include radio, television, newspapers, and a bill board company. The 6-months media campaign commenced on November 9th 2015 and will run until April 2016.

“What we expect from our media partners is maximum publicity for the project, and especially for the NTB Reporting System,” the Com-missioner External Trade in the Ministry of Trade Industry and Coop-eratives (MTIC), Silver Ojakol, told media representatives at a kick-off

meeting for the campaign.

“We want *201# to be on top of the minds of business people every time they encounter a non-tariff barrier, because they know that when they report NTBs, we will resolve them.”

MTICs Project Manager Emmanuel Atwine called on project partners to be actively involved in the media campaign through participating in talk shows and interviews, project events, and most importantly, through reporting and resolving NTBs for private and public partners respectively.

NTB Project media campaign kicks off I urge the private sector to fully embrace not only the use of the NTB Reporting System but all the trade facilitation measures as have been put in place by government. I urge my officers at the Ministry [of Trade Industry and Cooperatives] to massively publicise the use of this system to the business communi-ty – Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde at the commissioning of the NTB Reporting System on July31st, 2014.

National Response Strategy for Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), 3rd Floor, Room 320, Farmers House, Parliament Avenue

P.O. Box 7103, Kampala, UgandaTel: 0782 001 935/0772 408 740

www.mtic.go.ugMinistry of Trade Industry and Cooperatives

Greetings from the NRSE-NTB Project Secretariat of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives. We are grateful for your support of our efforts to eliminate NTBs and facilitate trade. With com-

mencement of our media campaign to promote the NTB Reporting System, we continue to count on your support and partnership. This is a newsletter of the NRSE-NTB Project through which we will

keep you updated of the progress of the media campaign. Happy 2016!

Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Amelia Kyambadde presses a button to commission the NTB Reporting System on July 31st, 2014.

Mr Atwine was joined by Mr Byron Kinene, Chairman, Regional Lorry Drivers and Transporters Association, for the first talk show of the cam-paign on November 30th, for an hour’s chat on Capital FM’s morning show.

This is the key message of MTIC and its partners under the media campaign to the business community: Report NTBs. We will resolve them and reduce the cost of doing business.

The NTB Reporting System is an initiative of MTIC, under the National Response Strategy on Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NRSE-NTB) Project, a 3-year project funded by Trademark East Africa (TMEA). In 2012, MTIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TMEA for financing the project towards elimination of NTBs. In July 2014, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Amelia Kyambad-de, commissioned the NTB Reporting System – on the USSD Code *201#.

Individual programmes for each of the firms will be communicated in due course.

NATIONAL RESPONSE STRATEGY FOR ELIMINATION OF NON-TARIFF BARRIERS (NTBs), 3rd Floor, Room 320, Farmers House, Parliament Avenue, P.O. Box 7103, Kampala, Uganda | Tel: 0782 001 935/0772 408 740 | www.mtic.go.ug

Chairperson of the Uganda Clearing Industry and Forwarding Association and Co-Chair of the National NTB Monitoring Committee, Mr Kassim Omar, receives computer equipment from the Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Amelia Kyambadde and TMEA Country Director Uganda, Ms Allen Asiimwe Unresolved

Complaints

16%

Resolved Complaints

81%

NTBs resolved so far948 complaints have been reported since the system was commissioned, covering a wide range of NTBs. 84% of complaints have been resolved. While most so far have been “test” complaints, they indicate the rising awareness and interest in the NTB Reporting System and measures taken by MTIC and its partners to eliminate NTBs. Future editions of the bulletin will include case studies of NTBs reported and resolved.

Minister of Trade Industry and Coopera-tives Hon. Ame-lia Kyambadde and TMEA Country Direc-tor Uganda, Ms Allen Asiimwe (seated front middle), pose with guests at the commis-sioning of the NTB Reporting System.

Status of received complaints

Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Amelia Kyambadde and TMEA Country Director Uganda, Ms Allen Asiimwe, hand over computer equipment to the Director of Traffic and Road Safety in the Uganda Police, Dr. Steven Kasii-ma, at the commissioning of the NTB Reporting System

NATIONAL RESPONSE STRATEGY FOR ELIMINATION OF NON-TARIFF BARRIERS (NTBs), 3rd Floor, Room 320, Farmers House, Parliament Avenue, P.O. Box 7103, Kampala, Uganda | Tel: 0782 001 935/0772 408 740 | www.mtic.go.ug

How to report NTBs - Dial *201#The NTB Reporting System is a USSD-Email platform for reporting and resolution of NTBs in real time. Traders, transporters, clearing agents, can report an NTB using two main ways:

*201# - Using a mobile phone connected to any of the four main telecommunication service providers in Uganda (i.e. MTN, UTL, Airtel and Africell). Dial the USSD code *201# and follow prompts to submit a complaint.

http:\\ntbtool.mtic.go.ug - Using the Internet, open the complaint reporting form on http:\\ntbtool.mtic.go.ug, fill in the required infor-mation and submit.

Delivery of the complaint is instant. Officials in MTIC and responsible government institutions will receive the complaint on their mobile phones and email and proceed to investigate and resolve the problem.

List of media partnersMedia company Platform

1 Capital Radio Radio

2 CBS FM Radio

3 Step FM Radio

4 Open Gate FM (103.2 FM) Radio

5 Bukedde FM Radio

6 Etop FM Radio

7 Radio West Radio

8 Rupiny FM Radio

9 Arua One FM Radio

10 Bukedde TV Television

11 Bukedde Newspaper Newspaper

12 New Vision Newspaper Newspaper

13 CIDES Media Billboards

What are NTBs?The EAC Customs Union Protocol defines NTBs as; laws, regulations, administrative and technical requirements other than tariffs imposed by a Partner State, whose effect is to impede trade. i.e. When administration of laws causes undue delays, increases costs of business and blocks free movement of goods and services, they become NTBs.

Implementing partners: Uganda National Roads Authority – UNRA; Uganda Police (Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety); Uganda Revenue Authority – URA; Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration; Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries – MAAIF; Uganda National Bureau of Standards – UNBS; Ugan-da Registration Services Bureau – URSB; Ministry of East African Community Affairs – MEACA; Ministry of Finance; Kampala Capital City Authority – KCCA.

Private Sector Partners: Uganda Clearing Industry and Forward-ing Association – UCIFA; Mukwano Group of Companies; Private Sector Foundation Uganda – PSFU; Uganda Manufacturers Associa-tion – UMA; Kampala City Traders Association - KACITA.

Schedule of planned talk shows for January 2016CBS 29th Jan 2016 (7.00 - 8.00 pm)

Capital Radio 25th January, 2016 (8.00 -9.00)

Step FM 21st Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

28th Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

Open Gate FM 20th Jan. 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

27th Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

Bukedde FM** 27th Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

Etop FM** 29th Jan 2016 (7.00 - 8.00 pm)

Radio West** 28th Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

Rupiny FM** 28th Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

Arua One FM** 28th Jan 2016 (8.00 -9.00 PM)

Bukedde TV** TBD

Ministry of Trade Industryand Cooperatives

National Response Strategy for Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs)3rd Floor Room 320, Farmers House, Parliament Avenue. P. O Box 7103 Kampala, Uganda. Tel: 0782 001 835/0772 408 740,www.mtic.go.ug