RTFP

One Stop Border Posts to Make Regional Trading Faster:

 

RTFP is administering a fund of GBP 500,000 from DFID (in addition to other programme funds) to develop One Stop Border Posts in the region. Three border posts are currently being focussed upon:

• Chirundu Border between Zambia an Zimbabwe
• Lebombo and Ressano Garcia betweenMozambique and South Africa
• Forbes Machipanda between Malawi and Mozambique

One Stop between Zambia and Zimbabwe: Chirundu, on the river Zambezi, has long been a major hold-up for regional traffic travelling to Zambia as well as to countries north and east. These long delays have impeded trade and added heavily to the cost of frieght. Now the two governments, working with COMESA Secretariat, have agreed to establish a juxtaposed One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Chirundu.  On 27th August 2007 signed a Bilateral Agreement moving it forward from a plan to reality.

A work programme was agreed in June 2006 (at a meeting financed by RTFP) and a Steering Committee was establish to oversee the process (for a background on Modern and Efficient Border Controls - Theory of OSBPs and practice at Chirundu a document by the Project Manager is available dated 29.8.07, 221 Kb)

COMESA Secretariat is leading additional technical work. This includes:

• Developing a legal framework that will allow officers from both countries to operate on each others territories (this work has been partly financed by Japanese International Cooperation Agency - JICA)
• Streamlining clearing procedures in order to reduce the number and duration of physical inspections;
• Rationalisation of agencies operating at the border in order to reduce their numbers;
• Development of ICT network and systems that will enable easy communication and sharing of non-sensitive and non-confidential information. 

In addition to financing meetings, RTFP is contributing by providing a consultant to manage the project and spearhead implementation of the work plan. He began work in February 2007 and has overseen the developments leading up to the signing of the Bilateral Agreement.

In early April 07, he presented a revised draft work plan which was considered by sub-committee groups on procedures; legislation; facilities and ICT. The meeting resolved to organise national Steering Committees of relevant Permanent Secretaries along with representatives of major stakeholders such as Clearing Agents and Road Hauliers – and these committees subsequently met in June 2007.

Following Kariba, well-attended meetings of the national Steering committees were held in both countries during the quarter and the Joint Steering Committee agreed to implement the project before the end of 2007; enact enabling legislation; sign the Bilateral Agreement and establish a Joint Commission to oversee its implementation.

One Stop Between South Africa and Mozambique: RTFP has undertaken work to assist the Governments of Mozambique and South Africa (through the South African Revenue Service - SARS) to plan for the establishment of a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Lebombo Ressano-Garcia (the main border on the Maputo corridor). Consultants (contracted by RTFP) have been working since April 2007 to finalise the TOR to establish the policy, legal and institutional framework.

Three bipartite meetings have been held in the first part of 2007 –  in Maputo on 26 April; Pretoria on 3rd May and a major stakeholders meeting in Maputo on 18 - 22 July (financed by RTFP). Documents for the latter meeting can be seen on www.mcli.co.za/mcli-web/events/thisyearsevents.htm

At the Pretoria meeting, a Statement of Intent was signed by the Deputy Director General of the Mozambique Revenue Authority and the Chairperson of the Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee of South Africa, which covered the establishment of the OSBP (including the proposed Dry Port and the passenger facility that spans the border and the railway facility); the international agreement between the two countries; funding for the project as well as infrastructure issues.

Governance Structures have been agreed, incorporating representatives of both countries, and an Agreement has been drafted which will be signed by the two Heads of State later in the year.

Two consultants who have been contracted by RTFP have been closely involved in all the planning, making available their extensive experience of similar border posts in other regions. They have presented a number of options for the operation of the OSBP in a document which also referred to some key legislative issues that will need to be addressed.

The meeting in Maputo was attended by over 120 representatives of all governmental, non-governmental and private sector agencies who have a part to play in the operation of border posts. Several positive resolutions were made which promise to ensure continued progress and it is likely that the Biulateral Agreement between the two countries will be signed by the respective Heads of State in October 2007.