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Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
The Beitbridge Border Post modernisation programme has improved the quality of infrastructure in the border town while also boosting efficiencies in the processing of travellers at SADC’s busiest inland port of entry.
Government and the Zimborders Consortium invested US$300 million into sprucing up the facility as part of the ease of doing business under a 17-and-half year build, operate and transfer arrangement.
About seven million travellers use Beitbridge Border Post yearly, while 1 200 commercial trucks, 200 buses and 3 000 light vehicles cross the port of entry daily.
It is also a nerve centre and conduit for regional and international trade for Zambia, DRC, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and Tanzania. Zimra’s head of communications, Mr Francis Chimanda, said the new upgraded border has been divided and spread into separate specialised terminals and channels that deal specifically with pedestrians and private motor vehicles, buses and commercial freight.
“Each channel has a dedicated terminal and dedicated staff for all stakeholders with a combination of automated and manual access control along the traffic ways,” he said.
“The entire facility has numerous state-of-the-art service points and counters within the spacious terminals and clearance halls which house Zimra and all government agencies involved in the clearance workflow systems, which has resulted in significant improvements in efficient and effective queue management.
“This development has resulted in the de-congestion of the border leading to focused clearance by type of traffic by streamlining the flow of traffic according to their categories”.
Mr Chimanda said all correctly declared goods are now being cleared within the standard turnaround times resulting in the elimination of long winding queues previously noted in the past. He said additional parking space has been created to accommodate all types of vehicles and a set up that is enabling the revenue collector and all other government border agencies to carry out routine compliance checks as part of their enforcement activities.
This, he added, had greatly reduced the traveller and goods processing time thereby reducing the time spent before passengers and goods are authorised to proceed.
“The facility also uses automated non-intrusive inspection technology in the form of state-of-the-art X-rays scanning equipment for both baggage and commercial cargo,” said Mr Chimanda. “Additional high tech searches are also enabled by the use of sniffer dogs handled by a highly trained Canine (K9) Unit.
“This has also enhanced the efficient and rapid physical examination, including the preservation of privacy and the elimination of possible breakage of fragile goods characteristic of manual searches”. The examination and verification facilities at the transformed border have been improved through the provision of sheltered search bays and warehouses within proximity for the storage of detained goods.
The official added that the facility creates a memorable travel experience for private travellers, tourists and commercial importers due to its artistic ambiance and modern infrastructure design which almost matches the same facilities experienced at air terminals.
Mr Chimanda said the general ambience at the port of entry had also created a sense of pride for all officials stationed at Beitbridge.
“This is a wonderful development that boosts the image of Zimra, Government and the country at large, presenting an aesthetic aura enhanced by an intricately designed modern road network within the border itself and around the town that houses the border post,” he said.
“The entire facility may very well stand as the most sophisticated modernised land terminal within the southern region”. As part of the border modernisation project, 220 staff houses for border agencies have been constructed some 5km east of the town, together with a new fire station, an 11,4 mega litres reservoir, a new animal and plant quarantine facility and the upgrading of sewer reticulation facilities in the town.
The whole project will be completed in June.
Online Reporter