DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: DR Congo and Zambia to reinforce border security to boost trade
Record ID:
644596
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: DR Congo and Zambia to reinforce border security to boost trade
- Title: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: DR Congo and Zambia to reinforce border security to boost trade
- Date: 23rd March 2011
- Summary: LUMUMBASHI, DR CONGO (MARCH 19, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF KATANGA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE VARIOUS OF MOISE KATUMBI CHAPWE, DR CONGO'S GOVERNOR OF KATANGA PROVINCE AND MWANSA-MBULA KULIMA, ZAMBIA'S GOVERNOR OF THE COPPERBELT PROVINCE IN CONFERENCE ROOM AUDIENCE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MWANSA-MBULA KULIMA , ZAMBIA'S GOVERNOR OF THE COPPERBELT PROVINCE SAYING: "I know, we talk of security... the idea is not to scare away our people, but to promote peace so that there can be massive investments in the two countries. Because when there is peace, then there will be investment." KULIMA AND CHAPWE SIGNING DOCUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOISE KATUMBI CHAPWE, DR CONGO'S GOVERNOR OF KATANGA PROVINCE SAYING: "We are supposed to stop our harassment. We have to look at the roadblocks that we have on the Congolese side and on the Zambia side, so that people can move freely." "Il faut que nous arretons nos tracaserries, qu' on regarde aussi le nombre de barriere. que nous avons du cote Congo et du cote de la Zambie, pour que les gens circulent librement." KULIMA AND CHAPWE EXCHANGING DOCUMENTS KULIMA TALKING TO CHAPWE LUMUMBASHI STREET SCENES
- Embargoed: 7th April 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVAB3OJMOFZP7C4BWJ2AYS3JWAY8
- Story Text: Authorities in the border province of Katanga in DR Congo and Zambia's copper belt recently held a meeting in the town Lumumbashi, to look for ways to improve border security between the two countries and to boost trade and facilitate the movement of people and goods.
The province of Katanga, which is situated in the south-eastern part of DR Congo, shares a common border with five provinces in Zambia over a distance of 1,800 kilometers.
Also on the agenda were trade exchanges between the two countries in the border region, the problems of smuggling and illegal immigration and moves to reopen parts of the border that have been closed for security reasons.
One major hurdle for traders is a list of products imported by DR Congo that are subject to the 30 percent tax imposed by the Zambian government for goods in transit through its territory.
Mwansa-Mbula Kulima, Zambia's governor of the Copperbelt province said the new security measure should not deter business people and traders from the two countries from traveling and importing and exporting their goods.
"I know, we talk of security... the idea is not to scare away our people, but to promote peace so that there can be massive investments in the two countries. Because when there is peace, then there will be investment," said Kulima.
Katanga province governor Moise Katumbi Chapwe said the goal of this meeting was for the two countries to relax border restrictions on both side that innibit the trade and drive down profits on either side.
"We are supposed to stop our harassment. We have to look at the roadblocks that we have on the Congolese side and on the Zambia side, so that people can move freely," he said.
Zambia and DR Congo share Africa's copperbelt, which is believed to contain 10 percent of the world's copper reserves and a third of global cobalt reserves, which has long been a source of conflict between the two countries due to illegal mineral smuggling.
According to trade officials around 5,000 metric tonnes of mineral ore are currently smuggled across the Zambian border from Congo every day for treatment and export. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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