Technical inefficiency at border posts has been identified as a major stumbling block for transporters who describe border post build-up at present as “slow, but not reaching crisis proportions”. But thankfully, efforts are under way by the likes of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta) to improve border passage efficiencies. Fesarta, for one, recently launched Transist, a transit assistance service to help protect transport concerns and truck drivers against incidents, especially of a corrupt nature. As for Comesa, they are rolling out a non-tariff barrier reporting system in Zambia called SMS NTB. “If it’s successful they plan to introduce it elsewhere. In addition, the road traffic management system that was implemented in South Africa will be taken cross-border as part of the Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme, all in an effort to free up border congestion and curb harassment.” Providing some insight on what transporters face, a haulier told FTW that customs authorities insisted on scanning all shipments to prevent smuggling, but they were often using tech that didn’t work which delayed road hauliers at various transit points across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The trusted source, who regularly talks to FTW on condition of anonymity, said primary triggers for trucks trickling through crucial crossings, particularly in Zambia and Zimbabwe, is “congestion and general tardiness”. “The main problem is scanners going down, especially due to the heat and age of the units. “It takes about 60 minutes to reboot a scanner when it goes down, so at best they’re only scanning about 100 trucks a day. “The fact of the matter is that such scanning capacity only caters for about a third of the truck traffic arriving at SADC borders, many of which have been flagged for being inefficient, corrupt, and incapable of improving their processes. “Around 300 trucks can arrive at any of the borders on a daily basis - and because of smuggling, authorities insist on using the scanners.” He also indicated that if junior customs staff had been better trained or at least tried to be more accommodating, they wouldn’t add to holdups by spreading suspicion where it wasn’t necessary. In Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he added, matters were often made worse because “the revenue authorities’ internet portals are not working or are always down”. However, years of holdups, exploitation, extortion and general ineptitude where the will to improve systems and services is completely absent, have left many transporters cynical and jaded about the prospects for progress. “It’s all becoming harder and harder for us to survive”, the source said. “Transport is not seen as a conduit to grow the economy, rather something to feast on and suck dry. “No amount of pressure by Comesa and Fesarta is going to change this place. It is what it is.”
INSERT: Transport is seen as something to feast on and suck dry. – Transporter