Nov 29, 2016: Tanzania Private Sector Foundation will receive a $400,000 grant from TradeMark East Africa to support operations of a national platform launched in Dar es Salaam over the weekend to bring together policy makers and industry stakeholders to collectively tackle the challenges of the logistics and freight industry.

Speaking during the launch of the platform, TMEA Country Director, John Ulanga said the grant would support activities of the platform which is hosted by TPSF which is intended to foster best practices and play a critical role in the logistics sector. Currently East Africa's trade corridors are characterised by long transit times and high costs. Freight costs per kilometre are more than 50 per cent higher than costs in the United States and Europe, and for the landlocked countries, transport costs can be as high as 45 per cent of the value of exports. "This platform is aimed at addressing these challenges and improving the region's competitiveness," he said. The national platform is expected to allow players to innovate, add value and strategise inorder to realize the common objective of making the logistics and freight industry more efficient, sustainable, and innovative and ultimately increase the country's competitiveness in order to secure economic growth and alleviate poverty. The platform is also expected to deal with logistics inefficiencies, delays in the movement of goods and services, challenges in implementation of national and regional logistics policies, and harmonisation of documentation requirements by customs in the country. Other challenges the platform will address are related to effective advocacy on security of goods and personnel, simplifying customs procedures and avoiding delays.

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