News / Regional
Plumtree one-stop border post on the cards
29 Apr 2013 at 02:48hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to start negotiations to establish a one-stop border post at the Plumtree port of entry.
A one-stop concept at a port of entry is a facility that combines and integrates the border formalities of one or more countries at the point where those countries share a common border.
It enables officials from the countries concerned to work closely together, usually under the same roof for efficient border management by, at times, performing their similar functions at the same time and eliminating duplication of functions.
"Two weeks ago as Zimra and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service, we signed a MOU which allows for discussions to start working on setting the one-stop border post at Plumtree," said Zimra Commissioner General Mr Gershem Pasi in an interview after the two bodies' breakfast meeting at a hotel in Bulawayo on Friday.
At the moment, immigration officials at the Plumtree port of entry struggle to cope with the influx of vehicles and travellers entering and leaving the country. The effects of the delays were hugely felt especially during the holidays when a high number of Zimbabweans based in Botswana start to trickle back home.
An estimated 8 000 individuals and more than 2 000 vehicles pass through the Plumtree Border Post daily.
"The setting up of the one-stop concept will take time as it involves a lot of stakeholders including the two countries at government level," said Mr Pasi.
It is also hoped that the Plumtree port of entry would become one of the busiest inland port in Africa as the Government forges ahead with plans to promote the use of a dry port at Walvis Bay in Namibia.
The proposed one-stop border initiative is a Sadc effort to integrate the economies of the sub-Saharan region and ensure free flow of goods and services among countries.
Harmonisation of customs and transit procedures at regional level is largely viewed as beneficial to the enhancement of export growth especially to landlocked countries such as Botswana and Zimbabwe.
In 2009, the Government introduced a one-stop border initiative at Chirundu while plans were also in progress to introduce the one-stop concept at Beitbridge Border Post.
A one-stop concept at a port of entry is a facility that combines and integrates the border formalities of one or more countries at the point where those countries share a common border.
It enables officials from the countries concerned to work closely together, usually under the same roof for efficient border management by, at times, performing their similar functions at the same time and eliminating duplication of functions.
"Two weeks ago as Zimra and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service, we signed a MOU which allows for discussions to start working on setting the one-stop border post at Plumtree," said Zimra Commissioner General Mr Gershem Pasi in an interview after the two bodies' breakfast meeting at a hotel in Bulawayo on Friday.
At the moment, immigration officials at the Plumtree port of entry struggle to cope with the influx of vehicles and travellers entering and leaving the country. The effects of the delays were hugely felt especially during the holidays when a high number of Zimbabweans based in Botswana start to trickle back home.
An estimated 8 000 individuals and more than 2 000 vehicles pass through the Plumtree Border Post daily.
"The setting up of the one-stop concept will take time as it involves a lot of stakeholders including the two countries at government level," said Mr Pasi.
It is also hoped that the Plumtree port of entry would become one of the busiest inland port in Africa as the Government forges ahead with plans to promote the use of a dry port at Walvis Bay in Namibia.
The proposed one-stop border initiative is a Sadc effort to integrate the economies of the sub-Saharan region and ensure free flow of goods and services among countries.
Harmonisation of customs and transit procedures at regional level is largely viewed as beneficial to the enhancement of export growth especially to landlocked countries such as Botswana and Zimbabwe.
In 2009, the Government introduced a one-stop border initiative at Chirundu while plans were also in progress to introduce the one-stop concept at Beitbridge Border Post.
Source - chronicle
