Cross-border co-operation makes encouraging progress

SOUTH AFRICA and Mozambique are committed to increasing economic co-operation. In September, President Thabo Mbeki and his Mozambican counterpart Armando Guebuza co-chaired the South Africa-Mozambique Heads of State Economic Bilateral Commission at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria. According to a statement issued after the meeting, they discussed a number of issues relating to business and transport. These included economic cooperation, tourism and environment issues, finance, customs administration and border matters, minerals and energy, and transport and communication. “Generally it was a meeting that registered a lot of progress from a lot of fronts, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa said after the meeting. Agreements were signed on finance and the avoidance of double taxation and on the establishment of One-Stop-Border Posts, which will first be implemented at the Lubombo Border Post between the two countries.