Over the past week Freight News reported on several instances of governments falling short of supporting private-sector freight interests in generating GDP revenue.
Two separate incidents can be hooked on one important angle – the mining industry in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The borders that provide transporters access to these areas in the Copperbelt are a constant mess, with public-sector officials paying lip service to trade-crippling congestion.
And then there’s Durban, where abnormal load carriers are battling to move mining equipment out of the harbour because there’s no way to get across a highway.
One of them has had Komatso dump trucks worth $3 million and intended for the Copperbelt, stuck at the port for more than three weeks.
So, when the governments of South Africa, Zambia and the DRC talk about trade facilitation, can they actually be taken seriously?
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