adminHerald Reporter
The automation of the financial systems at Beitbridge Border Post as part of its upgrade and modernisation has resulted in a three-fold rise of revenues after leaks and other inefficiencies were plugged, President Mnangagwa said over the weekend.
In his weekly column published in The Sunday Mail he said revenues have risen have risen faster than the volume of traffic through automation implying that some of the proceeds before were being corruptly pocketed by staff manning the border. Government does not tolerate corruption and would deal decisively with anyone caught on the wrong side of the law.
“I was intrigued to hear that since modernisation and automation, revenues at Beitbridge Border Post have grown threefold. Yet the volume of traffic going through the same border has largely remained the same.
“This suggests lots of leaks and corrupt malpractices that went on before this new phase. The Second Republic has no room for lapses in integrity, all of which stand condemned and punishable. A modern port must beget clean behaviour on the part of everyone. That way we make our country develop faster and more reputably,” the President said.
Beitbridge Border Post is the busiest border post in Southern Africa, which not only connects South Africa to Zimbabwe, but is a key access point to trade with countries further to the north.
President Mnangagwa last week commissioned the modernised Beitbridge Border Post which is being upgraded by Zimborders, under a US$300 million 17,5-year build, operate and transfer deal.
He challenged the Government departments working at the border post to make use of the new infrastructure to deliver on their mandates.
“Let me warn that modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post infrastructure does not automatically translate to better services. Improved infrastructure only enables efficiencies; what makes for real efficiencies are human beings who make modern infrastructure deliver to satisfactory standards.
“The work ethic at our ports must improve to justify the huge investments already made. We have digitalised Beitbridge to minimise failures; we have also installed expensive scanners.
“What we now need are better and effective standard operations procedures which make for interface efficiencies for the provision of a seamless service. Port efficiencies facilitate international trade while improving the ease of doing business,” President Mnangagwa said.
Online Reporter