Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE volume of commercial trucks accessing many countries north of the Zambezi River through Beitbridge Border Post has increased in the last four years.
It is understood things started changing at the border post following the transformation of the facility at a cost of US$300 million private public partnership between the Government and the Zimborders Consortium.
Government among other things, in the last five years adopted the Zimbabwe is Open for Business mantra in conjunction with its massive regional and international re-engagement initiatives, primed to remove the country from isolation and to rebuild the economy.
Prior to the latest development the Beitbridge Border Post had become a nightmare for many travellers and commercial cargo transporters (both local and in transit to other countries).
In addition, the streamlining of operations under the border efficiency management system and a change in attitude by border workers has seen many transporters and travellers considering Zimbabwe as a transit route of choice in Sadc.
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (Zimra) manager for Beitbridge region, Mrs Lonto Ndlovu told members of the Sadc secretariat on a study visit to the border last week that the volume of commercial trucks passing through the border was increasing yearly.
“The volume of commercial trucks entering or leaving the country through this border is increasing each year beginning from 2021,” said Mrs Ndlovu.
“In 2021, we processed 83, 735 incoming and 149, 012 outgoing trucks and 93, 916 incoming and 125, 260 outgoing in 2022.
“Further, we processed 124, 171 incoming trucks and 130, 538 outgoing trucks in 2023 and last year we handled 217, 152 in coming and 254, 8752 outgoing trucks”.
She said among other things the tax authority had automated services and was using the pre clearance system to reduce the turnaround time of trucks at the border from the previous more than 24 hours to less than three hours.
Mrs Ndlovu said the use of fast mobile cargo scanners with the capacity to process 120 commercial trucks under one hour and also using the Authorised Economic Operators model had ensured that Zimra clears freight faster.
According to Zimra an Authorized Economic Operator is any entity involved in the movement of goods internationally in accordance with terms and conditions, as well as functions set and approved by Zimra as complying with World Customs Organisation (WCO) or equivalent supply chain security standards.
AEOs include, inter alia manufacturers, importers, exporters, clearing agents, carriers, consolidators, intermediaries, ports, airports, terminal operators, integrated operators, warehouses, distributors.
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