News / Regional
Beitbridge border post to be revamped
15 Jul 2014 at 10:14hrs | Views
IMPROVING the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe is one of seven priority projects identified under the regional North-South Corridor scheme, which aims to improve the logistics network from Durban to Dar es Salaam, Business Day reported.
The programme is chaired by South Africa and comprises eight signatory countries - Botswana, Mozambique, the DRC, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa.
The South African Department of Trade and Industry's deputy director of economic infrastructure and logistics, Ofentse Sibetlo, said last week of the programme's 19 identified projects, seven would be priority or "catalytic" projects to substantially improve regional trade.
Speaking at the Southern African Transport Conference in Pretoria, Mr Sibetlo said "one of the greatest challenges" was alignment between each signatory state.
"When we do site visits at Beitbridge, there is a glaring issue which shows we are not as aligned as we should be, as this is seen as country-specific and there is a belief that we will connect at the borders," he said.
The Beitbridge border post is notorious for slowing trade and traffic.
Limpopo Bridge's administration was last month handed to the Zimbabwe government after expiry of the 20-year-long build, operate and transfer agreement signed with New Limpopo Bridge - the company that built the bridge in 1994.
Mr Sibetlo said the private sector should be afforded more opportunities in the decision-making process of the different projects.
"As much as it is countries that trade, it is more companies that trade and there is now an urgent need to expand on our ideas," he said.
Projects needed to be seen as "regional networks" rather than country-specific, he said.
Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters said at the conference the North-South Corridor project "is truly a game changer, which is designed to turn Africa's fortunes in this globalised world".
"The World Bank postulates that Africa is losing billions of dollars in trade due to a lack of infrastructure and regional integration.
"We know, for instance, that since the conception of the Trans African Highway many years ago, we still have the missing links in numerous parts of the network, including here in Southern Africa, where some of our roads are impassable."
Ms Peters said rail connectivity remained poor due to inoperable systems and "nonharmonised gauges between countries". As such it was "hardly surprising that intraregional trade accounts for a mere 12% of Africa's trade with the rest of the world".
The programme is chaired by South Africa and comprises eight signatory countries - Botswana, Mozambique, the DRC, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa.
The South African Department of Trade and Industry's deputy director of economic infrastructure and logistics, Ofentse Sibetlo, said last week of the programme's 19 identified projects, seven would be priority or "catalytic" projects to substantially improve regional trade.
Speaking at the Southern African Transport Conference in Pretoria, Mr Sibetlo said "one of the greatest challenges" was alignment between each signatory state.
"When we do site visits at Beitbridge, there is a glaring issue which shows we are not as aligned as we should be, as this is seen as country-specific and there is a belief that we will connect at the borders," he said.
The Beitbridge border post is notorious for slowing trade and traffic.
Limpopo Bridge's administration was last month handed to the Zimbabwe government after expiry of the 20-year-long build, operate and transfer agreement signed with New Limpopo Bridge - the company that built the bridge in 1994.
"As much as it is countries that trade, it is more companies that trade and there is now an urgent need to expand on our ideas," he said.
Projects needed to be seen as "regional networks" rather than country-specific, he said.
Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters said at the conference the North-South Corridor project "is truly a game changer, which is designed to turn Africa's fortunes in this globalised world".
"The World Bank postulates that Africa is losing billions of dollars in trade due to a lack of infrastructure and regional integration.
"We know, for instance, that since the conception of the Trans African Highway many years ago, we still have the missing links in numerous parts of the network, including here in Southern Africa, where some of our roads are impassable."
Ms Peters said rail connectivity remained poor due to inoperable systems and "nonharmonised gauges between countries". As such it was "hardly surprising that intraregional trade accounts for a mere 12% of Africa's trade with the rest of the world".
Source - BDlive
