Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE, in collaboration with the United Nations, is hosting a two-day national workshop designed to strengthen the capacity to estimate transport and trade costs for landlocked countries.
These costs are generally higher than those faced by countries with their own coasts and ports.
This initiative aims to enhance transport and trade facilitation, which are critical for the nation’s economic growth and development.
The workshop also focuses on designing and implementing policies that promote connectivity and the effective use of digital solutions for transport and trade facilitation, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The training features interactive modules and engagement with relevant background materials and tools.
It targets policymakers, analysts, and technical experts from Transport, Trade and Planning Ministries in the affected countries, along with key stakeholders from the private sector and academia involved in trade and transport.
Under the theme, “From data to policy — Strengthening trade and transport cost analysis”, this workshop aims to tackle the complexities landlocked developing countries face in international trade, which can be much more costly and complicated than for coastal countries.
In her address, Permanent Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, highlighted the critical gap in sustainable development.
She noted that the landlocked developing countries face unique and persistent challenges in transport and trade facilitation.
“The lack of direct access for countries such as Zimbabwe to the sea increases transport costs, reduces competitiveness, and limits participation in global trade.”
Eng Makumbe pointed out that many landlocked developing countries also experience constraints in energy access, digital connectivity and climate resilience.
“These challenges are not new, but our tools to address them can be redefined and customised to meet our current challenges and diverse economies,” she added.
Data has become one of their most powerful resources, according to Eng Makumbe, as it enables them to measure, compare and understand various aspects of trade and transport.
“But data alone does not change lives. Policies do. Evidence must be transformed into actionable, context-specific solutions that respond to the realities of each country and community. That is the essence of this workshop: how to move from data to policy.”
She urged participants to focus on strengthening the data ecosystems within the countries.
“We must ensure that national statistical offices, research institutions, and ministries have the capacity, the technology, and the collaboration frameworks needed to collect and use data effectively. “Without reliable data, even the best-intentioned policies risk missing their mark,” Eng Makumbe said.
She called for an integrated approach, bringing together data on trade, transport, energy, education, and the environment to build a holistic understanding of development challenges.
“This helps policymakers identify the linkages, for example, seeing how improving border efficiency can boost exports, or how investing in digital corridors can expand access to education and markets,” she explained.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Mr Edward Kallon, echoed the importance of addressing these challenges.
“We are a nation rich in agricultural bounty, mineral wealth, and human talent. Yet, without direct access to the sea, the journey of our goods to the world’s markets is a costly and complex odyssey,” he said.
Expected outcomes of the workshop, which ends today, include increased capacity for participants to estimate transport and trade costs, enhanced policy efficacy aimed at improving efficiency in transport and trade facilitation, and strengthened collaboration across government and with the private sector, academia, and UN organisations.
Through these initiatives, Zimbabwe aims to lay a stronger foundation for trade and transport, ultimately contributing to national development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
