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Matatu operators have stepped up the pressure on the Tanzanian Government to ease restrictions on East Africans seeking to do cross-border business. They said the restrictions are against the spirit of a borderless East Africa that the region is aspiring to be under the East African Community. Dickson Mbugua, the chairman of the PSV Owners' Welfare Association (POWAK), said discrimination against Kenyans in Tanzania was rife despite numerous pleas. "Kenyan PSVs are not allowed into the Tanzanian territory while in Uganda, all that an operator needs is a valid Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) insurance cover and the Uganda TLB to do business, " he said. Late last year, the chairman of the Nairobi - Namanga route based Naekena Sacco, Tom ole Ntooki, accused Tanzanian authorities of ignoring Kenyan vehicle operators' application to secure a PSV licences in the country. He said his case had remained pending although he had written letters and sought the direct interventions of both the Kenyan TLB acting chief executive Mr C J Ngeso and his Tanzanian counterpart, Anastas Selemani - the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority director. "Our target was many Kenyans and tourists who cross into Tanzania daily for business and adventure. Currently, we can only take them up to the border point from where they have to enter into new contracts with Tanzanian public transporters," he said of the Nairobi - Namanga route which falls in a busy tourist circuit. Mr Ntooki said tours and travel companies as well as Kenyan truck drivers also faced the same discrimination from Tanzanian government. "Kenyans who want to operate in the country are therefore forced to buy and register their vehicles in Tanzania to enable them acquire licence to haul cargo across the border", he said. But contrary to the matatu operators' claim that Tanzanian vehicles currently move into Kenya without much restrictions from the country's Transport Licensing Board, the Ministry of Transport maintains that as far as passenger vehicles are concerned, Tanzanian PSV are also not allowed to operate beyond the border point. "The only PSV vehicles that are allowed to cross to either side of the border point are hired vehicles which together with their passengers must however meet the customs, immigration and traffic requirements of both countries," said Kaunda Douglas, the transport ministry public relations officer. Mr Kaunda argued that for passenger vehicles, it is even economical on the side of the operators to drop their passengers at the border instead of waiting the whole day at the border point as each passenger is taken through the tedious clearance process. Earlier, the recently retired transport ministry spokesman, Ondongo Manyala had admitted that the Tanzanian vehicles were operating in Kenya and that the ministry was using the fact to push the Kenyan vehicle operators' case. Mr Manyala had expressed hope that the border point dispute was a small matter which would be solved soon before it could precipitate into a crisis that could dampen the spirit of the East African Co-operation. Before the year ended, officials had even secured a meeting with transport minister Ali Mwakwere who promised them he would look into the matter.
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