Momentum is building for the One Stop Border Post (OSBPs) concept, with many lessons having been learnt along the way to facilitate easier and faster implementation going forward.
According to Eisuke Tachibana, infrastructure adviser seconded from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency, the process of OSBP development has not been without its challenges, but he said major progress had been made.
“We have seen this at various OSBPs, including Chirundu between Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he told FTW.
The project began in earnest in 2007 with the OSBP becoming operational in 2009.
“Interconnections are still challenging and administration issues exist, but the overall border performance has improved dramatically,” he said. “An independent study undertaken at this border post showed that despite the challenges the processes were faster, the handling of cargo was more efficient and it was more cost effective.”
Various studies have been conducted at the border post, with one showing that cargo clearance into Zambia from Zimbabwe has been reduced from an average of around three days to one day since the introduction of an OSBP.
At a fixed daily truck cost of US$250-500, this represents a saving of US$500-1000. Further evidence of the efficiency is the fact that the number of trucks cleared at the commercial terminal has increased from 150 to 400 trucks a day.
Commenting on the challenges with OSBPs in Africa, Tachibana said there were several common challenges. “The lack of feasible planning is one of the big obstacles that we are seeing,” he said.
While heads of state supported the need for improvement in trade facilitation, sustaining concerted action was sometimes problematic – which in turn meant these projects were slow off the ground.
At Chirundu both countries’ stakeholders were involved – including the ministers of trade and the revenue authorities – and when required added the muchneeded political pressure to push the project forward in the course of implementation.
“An OSBP requires a lot of coordination among public and private stakeholders at national, bilateral and regional level from a design to implementation stage,” explained Tachibana. He said finding a leading agency at the beginning of the process was often difficult.
“An OSBP also involves the application of a streamlined building design, harmonised and simplified procedures, and greater application of ICT – all within a supportive legal framework.”
According to Tachibana it took eight to ten years of trial and error to deliver an OSBP from beginning to end. So we have to be patient.
“We have learnt some valuable lessons since Chirundu became operational in 2009,” he said. This information was being used to accelerate OSBP delivery across the continent as efforts to improve border procedures and enhance connectivity continued.
