Improving the Cross-Border Trade Environment
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BASELINE EVALUATION Improving the Cross Border Trade Environment through Improved Research and Advocacy on Cross Border Trade Issues SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2016 Theogene Mugisha, DM&E Coordinator Contacts: Narcisse KALISA Kevin OSBORNE Country Director - Rwanda Country Director - DRC Search for Common Ground Search for Common Ground Kimironko Road, Remera, Kigali 104, Avenue de la Corniche, Goma Phone: +250 785671066 Phone : +243(0)816268032 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Baseline Evaluation | Improving the Cross Border Trade Environment through Improved Research and Advocacy on Cross Border Trade Issues Table of contents Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive summary ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Project Context.......................................................................................................................................... 4 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Limitations ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Context .................................................................................................................................................. 9 2. Methodology ....................................................................................................................................... 10 1.1. Data collection and analysis ........................................................................................................ 11 1.2. Limitations .................................................................................................................................. 14 3. Results ................................................................................................................................................. 15 3.1. Relationship and collaboration between customs officials and small traders crossing the border 15 Level of satisfaction of relationships between small traders and customs officials at the border ...... 17 Sources of information on border issues / problems related to small business activities ................... 24 Level of interaction between small traders and customs officers ....................................................... 26 3.2. Knowledge of small traders on issues related to cross-border trade (CBT) ................................ 30 3.3. Economic viability and resilience of small traders ..................................................................... 35 3.4. SFCG Program and Notoriety ..................................................................................................... 37 Project Indicators ........................................................................................................................................ 42 4. Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................... 43 5. Recommendations ............................................................................................................................... 46 6. Annexes............................................................................................................................................... 47 Annex 1: Tools ........................................................................................................................................ 47 Annexe 2: ToR ........................................................................................................................................ 57 Annexes 3: Focus Group Discussion guide ............................................................................................ 65 Search for Common Ground | RWANDA 2 Baseline Evaluation | Improving the Cross Border Trade Environment through Improved Research and Advocacy on Cross Border Trade Issues Acronyms CBT: Cross Border Trade CSO: Civil Society Organization DGDA : Direction Générale des Douanes et Assises DRC: Democratic Republic of Congo DGM: Direction Générale des Migrations DME : Design Monitoring and Evaluation EI: Entretien Individuel FGD: Focus Group Discussion KII: Key Informant Interview OCC: Office Congolaise des Contrôle PS/JADF: Permanent secretary of Joint Action Development Forum RRA: Rwanda Revenue Authority SFCG: Search for Common Ground Search for Common Ground | RWANDA 3 Baseline Evaluation | Improving the Cross Border Trade Environment through Improved Research and Advocacy on Cross Border Trade Issues Executive summary Project Context Small trade between the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Replublic of Congo (DRC) and the western province of Rwanda is a very important source of revenue for local populations. In 2010, International Alert estimated that at least 22,000 people were surviving on revenue made through sales revenue between Goma and Gisenyi, many of them women. This means there is strong commercial competition between them, worsened by a climate of mistrust related to recent conflicts. In this context, Search for Common Ground (SFCG), began implementing a regional project financed by Trade Mark East Africa which targets small traders crossing the borders between Rwanda and the DRC (Goma / Gisenyi and Bukavu / Rusizi). The project will be implemented over the period of one year, beginning in July 2016 through June 2017. The overall objective of this project is to support peace through economic development and improved citizen-government relations in the field of cross-border trade. The project has three specific objectives: 1. Improve relations and collaboration on border regulation between customs officials and small traders; 2. Increase research-based awareness on issues related to cross-border trade (CBT) to small traders, local CSOs, border authorities, government officials and other stakeholders; and 3. Provide financial support to small traders, cooperatives / associations operating on the Goma / Gisenyi and Bukavu / Rusizi borders. In order to achieve these objectives, the project brings together small traders from both countries, organizing Town hall meetings, producing and broadcasting a radio program on cross-border trade and building the entrepreneurial capacities of small traders. Search for Common Ground | RWANDA 4 Baseline Evaluation | Improving the Cross Border Trade Environment through Improved Research and Advocacy on Cross Border Trade Issues The project’s main target group is small traders, with a particular emphasis on women, as well as customs officers. The project will indirectly affect others through the radio programs produced and broadcast. Methodology The main objective of this baseline study is to inform the implementation of project activities on the basis of the baseline data collected. Specifically, this study wanted to provide basic data to answer the following questions: To what extent have relations and collaboration on border regulation between officials and small traders have improved? To what extent are regional trade stakeholders, including small traders and vulnerable groups, sensitized and informed about CBT issues? To what extent have the economic viability and resilience of small traders, especially women, increased and what are the effects of the project on this improvement? The data was collected through a mixed approach: a survey (quantitative) and semi-structured discussion groups and interviews with key informants (qualitative). The survey was an individual questionnaire with closed and semi-open questions in order to collect statistical data on small traders in Rwanda and the DRC. In total 1,442 people were interviewed. The breakdown of respondents by gender was 1,063 women (73.9%) and 376 men (26.1%). Respondents aged 16 to 35 accounted for 63.8% of the sample and adults (over 35 years) 36.2%. The qualitative component included focus groups and individual interviews for which interview guides were developed. A total of 17 focus groups were conducted with 170 people (ten per focus group), and 11 Key Informant Interview were held. Limitations During the collection of qualitative data, the team was not able to interview customs officers either in Gisenyi or Rusizi because the Rwandan border authorities did not consider customs to be included in the authorization to carry out this research that had been issued by the district. Search for Common Ground | RWANDA 5 Baseline Evaluation | Improving the Cross Border Trade Environment through Improved Research and Advocacy on Cross Border Trade Issues Thus, it was necessary to request this authorization from the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration in Kigali while the research team was already in the field. Fortunately, this had a limited impact on the research results since the small traders – who are the primary beneficiaries of this project – the district authorities and the border