Baseline Surveys of Economic and Commercial Activities in the Great Lakes Region

As part of the broader national and international initiatives to support secure and sustainable cross-border economic activity in Africa’s Great Lakes Region, this study focused on establishing key baseline data at the Bukavu/Rusizi II border crossing between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The survey provided essential benchmarks for monitoring the progress of the regional actions aimed at securing cross border social economic and commercial activities in the Great Lakes Region.

Our team designed and carried out four interconnected surveys:

• Time survey, to measure delays at the border, from vehicle queuing to customs processing
• Cost survey, to quantify both official and unofficial expenses faced by traders and transporters
• Traffic survey, to assess current flow volumes, types of goods, and patterns of cross-border movement
• User satisfaction survey, capturing the experiences and perceptions of traders, transporters and pedestrians regarding infrastructure and services at the crossing

The resulting dataset offered a critical reference point for evaluating the effectiveness of infrastructure upgrades, policy reforms and regional trade facilitation initiatives, promoting fairer and faster trade across regional border points