Published by the government of Zimbabwe
14 February 2008
Harare — THE initiative to establish a one-stop border post between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the second of its kind in the region, moved a step up with the establishment of three working groups during a two-day regional workshop which ended in Harare yesterday.
The three working groups would work on modalities that would assist in the establishment of the one-stop border post.
These include customs and trade facilitation, security, immigration and law enforcement and information and information technology.
The group on customs and trade facilitation was going to work on harmonising laws relating to the movement of goods while the one on immigration, security and law enforcement would deal with security issues and the one on information and IT would deal with the sharing of information.
The groups comprising of officials from Zimbabwe and Mozambique would meet in Zimbabwe and Mozambique during the next 18 months to come up with a document that would be used to harmonise operations at the model one-stop border post at Forbes-Machipanda border post just outside Mutare.
Sadc trade facilitation and customs advisor Mr Happias Kuzvinzwa said if the one-stop border post systems succeeds at Forbes-Machipanda border post, the programme would be rolled out to other border posts in the region.
He said the initiative was an important milestone towards deepening the level of economic integration.
He said the border post had been nominated as the ideal one for the pilot project since there was an already existing memorandum of understanding between Zimbabwe and Mozambique on the Beira corridor, which was signed in December last year.
The two countries signed the bilateral agreement to strengthen ties between them in line with economic integration under Sadc.
The coming into fruition of the Forbes-Machipanda one-stop border post was an important milestone towards deepening the level of economic integration.
Mr Kuzvinzwa said that the workshop was also meant to receive an overview of the project plan, bring awareness and ownership of the development process of the Forbes-Machipanda one-stop border post.
In pursuant of this, Mr Kuzvinzwa said customs administrations of Mozambique and Zimbabwe signed a statement of intent to establish a one-stop border post at a meeting held in Namibia in 2005.
This was a demonstration of commitment by the two customs administrations to facilitate trade, enhance co-operation, collaboration and enforcement of laws, regulations, harmonisation and standardisation of customs laws, procedures and practices.
Sadc's wider agenda on regional integration and trade facilitation envisages the establishment of one-stop border posts and to respond to customs administrations for the region.
Mr Kuzvinzwa said resources to operationalise the establishment of the border were already available although he could not disclose the amount.
Speaking at the same occasion International Co-operational Mozambique Revenue Authorities director Mr Anastacio Magombe said that this was the first bilateral workshop to map a way forward in preparation of the Forbes-Machipanda border post.
"We are committed to the project, its part of the big project. Mozambique is geared to co-operate with Zimbabwe to ensure that the project will become a successful, " said Mr Magombe.
Forbes-Machipanda one-stop border post was part of the Beira Development Corridor.
The first one-stop border post in the region was established between South Africa and Mozambique at Lebombo Ressano-Gracia.
The meeting was using the one-stop border post as a case study for the Forbes-Machipanda project.
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