GATUMBA, Burundi — Non-tariff barriers and costly travel documents are making cross-border trade difficult for women traders in the East African Community (EAC), despite regional commitments to ease movement of goods and people.
Members of the East African Legislative Assembly Women’s Caucus (EALA WC) on Thursday visited the Gatumba border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to assess the challenges facing women engaged in small-scale trade.
“We have come here to get first-hand information on the challenges women traders face, especially those doing transborder trade,” said lawmaker Momamo Karerwa. “This will help us report back and work on the challenges East Africans face.”
At Gatumba—one of Burundi’s busiest border posts hundreds of trucks loaded with fuel, food and other goods queued for hours to be cleared, while long lines of passengers and traders crowded immigration offices.
For many women, the hurdles are steep. Francine Bukuru, a mother of 12 who imports clothing to DRC, said her business operates on a capital of about 300,000 Burundian francs ($100).
“There are many non-tariff barriers along this route especially at the DRC side because we have to give a handout everywhere we go,” Bukuru said. “If I am lucky and sell all my merchandise, the profit I get for the whole trip is about 25,000 francs.”
EAC member states signed the Common Market Protocol nearly 15 years ago to allow the free movement of goods and people. But full compliance remains elusive, according to traders and lawmakers.
“DRC side there is need to sensitize the officials and citizens. Like when I cross to DRC I am only given 3 days,” one of the Burundian Transborder traders said.
The bloc introduced a Simplified Trade Regime (STR) to exempt consignments below $2,000 from duty. However, awareness is limited. More than half of women traders are unaware of the STR and often resort to informal “panya routes” due to unclear documentation and slow clearance processes according to EALA.
“For DRC we have a serious problem with documents,” said Virginie Bikorimana, another cross-border trader. “It costs us $10, but after one month it becomes invalid because of the many exit and entry stamps, even though the document is valid for a year.”
Lawmakers said a lack of sensitization for small-scale traders and member states’ partial implementation of the Common Market Protocol remain major barriers, disproportionately affecting women who dominate the sector.
Unlike other EAC crossings, Gatumba is not a One Stop Border Post, resulting in longer delays for trucks, travellers and small businesses.
