Overview of One Stop Border Posts:
Long waits at border crossings delay trucks, cost money and make goods less competitive. RTFP is seeking to make regional trade faster and more cost effective through the establishment of 3 One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) at:
- Lebombo Ressano-Garcia between South Africa and Mozambique, along the Maputo Corridor;
- Chirundu between Zambia and Zimbabwe - the second busiest border along the North-South Corridor; and
- Forbes-Machipanda along the Beira Corridor between Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
As well as cutting time, the OSBPs will increase cooperation and information sharing between border agencies, improve transparency and reduce opportunities for corruption.
How do OSBPs Work?
There are several different models of OSBP (according to criteria such as geographical location, position of existing infrastructure, level of integration etc). At the Chirundu border, where planning is most advanced, all north-bound traffic will cross one bridge over the Zambezi and report to officials from Zambian and Zimbawean Customs and Immigration officials sitting side by side. All south-bound traffic will cross over a separate bridge, along separate roads and will report to officials from both countries sitting in a building on the Zimbabwean side. In this manner, duplication of effort will be avoided and automated data will need to be entered only once.
The timing for the development at Chirundu is fortuitous because a new bridge and buildings have just been completed on the Zambian side by JICA (who are also cooperating on the OSBP), however, the principle of all traffic moving in one direction dealing with officials from two countries at the same time is equally applicable to borders without bridges.
What Will Make the OSBPs Work?
Whilst the principles are simple, the practice and the planning are complex. Anything which can involve up to 15 different Government agencies on both sides of a border and two country’s sovereign concerns, is not going to be easy. Through the process of involving everyone from an early stage and dealing with specific issues (such as ICT; legalities; harmonisation of procedures; facilities etc) rather than national concerns, the officials consider problems jointly from the beginning. Empowered, high-level decision-makers committed to the project and an effective Project Manager will contribute to progress. The private sector, as users, are critical to acceptance of the OSBP and need to be ‘on the same page’ as their national authorities before bilateral talks are held (the media also has a useful role to play here).
What Makes OSBPs Work Better?
It’s one thing to cut the time to reach the officials at a border but if they then present traders with a bewildering array of documents for the different RECs and others (documents which often fulfill the same function) then the time gained can soon be lost. RTFP is working with COMESA, EAC and SADC under the Tripartite Task Force to consider the design of a common regional customs document; regional transit bond guarantee; Customs Best Practices, harmonised Rules of Origin etc. Link to….