- Title: ZAMBIA/ZIMBABWE: Trade border post expected to save millions
- Date: 7th December 2009
- Summary: VARIOUS OF TRUCKS PARKED SOUTH AFRICAN TRUCK DRIVER LOTTIE NYAMBOSA NYAMBOSA'S FOOT STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL REVVING TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOTTIE NYAMBOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN TRUCK DRIVER SAYING: "If they do so, we will really appreciate that. We can say thanks very much for those things if they manage to, what? To help us like that, for us drivers. We can manage to move up and down, we can't spend a lot of money, you know to stay at the border, it's very expensive." CARS IN BETWEEN TRUCKS PARKED ON EITHER SIDE TRUCK DRIVERS SITTING OUTSIDE THEIR TRUCKS TRUCKS OF SIMILAR PAINTING PARKED PARKED TRUCK WITH OPEN DOOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAMUEL MAHACHI, ZIMBABWEAN TRUCK DRIVER SAYING: "It's good but then we don't know how are the procedures just because we understand that we shall be faster in crossing, we are not going to be taking long here. As you know here it's hot, ka, so we don't what to be here for a long time." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA3UX9ITRZ1YCMZNWKQYT238AHC
- Story Text: Zambia and Zimbabwe's new one-stop border post aims to help facilitate trade between the two countries and save about 486 million US dollars a year in logistical costs, according to a senior official at the agency in charge of the project.
Trucks using the Chirundu post, about 136 km south of Zambia's capital Lusaka, will now take two hours to clear the border instead of the two to five days it took prior to the new opening.
The East African Commission, a part of the intergovernmental East African Community, managed the border crossing project.
Zambian President Rupiah Banda, who was at the opening ceremony of the crossing, said the one-stop border post would promote the smooth and efficient flow of goods, resulting in increased inter-regional trade.
"This one stop border post is the first to be commissioned on the north - south corridor and is expected to serve as a model for other one stop border posts in the region and other parts of Africa. I am happy that this is a clear demonstration of a sense of oneness in our region. May that spirit continue," said Banda.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told those at the launch ceremony that the border post was a practical demonstration of regional integration and asked for investment in similar projects to unblock the congested crossings between other southern Africa countries and Zimbabwe.
"We are therefore appealing for development and cooperation partners to join us in the development of five bridges into one stop border posts to compliment efficiencies at Chirundu and therefore along trans-North-South transport routes. We also appeal to member states in the North South corridor to also prioritise the establishment of one border post to smoothen trade," Mugabe said.
A recent World Bank study showed that a major contributor to the high cost of transport in the region was a lack of facilitation, specifically with regards to border clearance procedures.
"If they do so, we will really appreciate that. We can say thanks very much for those things if they manage to, what? To help us like that, for us drivers. We can manage to move up and down, we can't spend a lot of money, you know to stay at the border, it's very expensive," said South African truck driver Lottie Nyambosa.
"It's good but then we don't know how are the procedures just because we understand that we shall be faster in crossing, we are not going to be taking long here. As you know here it's hot, ka, so we don't what to be here for a long time," said another Zimbabwean truck driver, Samuel Mahachi.
A report by the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa in November showed service costs were high in sub-Saharan Africa due to poor roads, water and power networks and that the region needed to double its infrastructure spending to 93 billion US dollars a year to improve it. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
