Govt mulls One-Stop Border Post for Plumtree

by the Minister of Industry and Commerce Welshman Ncube at a recent meeting between Namibian organisation – the Walvis Bay Corridor Group – and local business.
“To further promote the use of the Walvis Bay Corridors, the Government of Zimbabwe is proposing the establishment of a one-stop border post (OSBP) at the Plumtree Border Post between Zimbabwe and Botswana with efforts already underway to engage Botswana on the issue.
“The OSBP concept has proved to be efficient as evidenced by developments at Chirundu OSBP between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
“With the envisaged increase in cargo passing through the Plumtree Border Post, improvement of the border post is imperative to ensure a congestion-free trade route as is currently being experienced along the current trade routes,” said Minister Ncube.
If implemented, the Plumtree Border Post will become Zimbabwe’s second OSBP after the Chirundu Border Post that was commissioned as an OSBP in 2009, and was then the continent’s first functioning One-Stop Border Post.
The main purpose of the Chirundu OSBP is to reduce the costs of cross-border transport by reducing the time taken to cross a border.
The concept is part of efforts by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to integrate the economies of the sub-region, and ensure free flow of goods and services.
Harmonisation of customs and transit procedures at regional level is largely viewed as beneficial, especially for landlocked countries such as Zimbabwe in the enhancement of export growth.
The minister also noted that Zimbabwe is in the process of developing a dry port at the port of Walvis Bay with the aim of facilitating the importation and exportation of goods especially to and from America and Europe.
This project is being spearheaded by the Road Motor Service (RMS) of Zimbabwe in partnership with Namibia Ports Authority (Namport) and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group.
Namibian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Panduleni Kaino Shingenge appraised the local transport sector of the advantages of using the TransKalahari and the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor to Zimbabwe through the Port of Walvis Bay.
She said the embassy was always ready to offer assistance on any business related enquiry.
Walvis Bay Corridor Group representative Ms Agnetha Mouton said significant growth has been experienced on the Walvis Bay Corridors for imports to Zimbabwe during the past 18 months.