KAMPALA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Tax authorities of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday launched a Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) to reduce the risk of freight diversion between the place of origin and checkpoints.

Dickson Kateshumbwa, commissioner of customs at Uganda Revenue Authority, said the DRC is a strategic market for Uganda and therefore the RECTS is important in regional trade facilitation.

"This system enables revenue authority officers to know the goods in transit, and the tracking of the cargo from Mombasa (Kenyan seaport) will be very easy and goods will be cleared at the border of Uganda and the DRC once," said Kateshumbwa.

Aime Nzoyihera, country director of an aid-for-trade organization TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), which is implementing the project, said the RECTS will be implemented in three phases: the launch of the Uganda office, the opening of the Goma office in eastern DRC, and the launch of the Kinshasa command center.

"TMEA remains committed to facilitating reduced barriers to trade in the region, particularly through enhancement of digital infrastructure which will promote increased trade in the Eastern African region," Nzoyihera added.

The RECTS is now operational in four countries in the East African region, namely Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC.