Walking in the Dark
Written by Kristof Titeca with Celestin Kimanuka, International Alert
Small-scale cross-border trade plays an important role in supporting communities in the Great Lakes region of Africa. This trade provides essential foodstuffs for communities and an income for some 45,000 traders and their families. Yet it faces considerable barriers.This report, looks at some of the challenges faced by small-scale traders operating at the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Rwanda. The report finds that traders at the DRC and Burundi borders are subject to a system of confusing and unpredictable informal taxation, often contravening national laws. This is made worse by traders’ lack of understanding of tax rates, regulations and the role of different agencies present at the borders, resulting in mistreatment of traders.
Read the report here.
