Agreement reached on:
Standardised documentation 10-hour working day 7 days a week Same road user charges Same staff qualificationsONE-STOP BORDER crossings where possible aimed at cutting out delays for goods moving from one country to another, particularly by road, have been agreed upon by government and private sector representatives of eight of the member countries in the Southern African Development Community.
This follows a recent meeting of the SADC's Border Post Operations Working Group in Pretoria, where a degree of privatisation and the Ôdrastic overhaul' of border posts throughout the region was given the green light.
Two Ôone-stop' pilot projects were recommended for implementation at the moderate volume border posts at Livingstone/Victoria Falls and Plumtree/Ramokgwebana (Zimbabwe into Botswana), where minimum disruption is likely to occur.
The agreement will become an annexure to the protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology which was signed in August last year, says Peggy Drodskie, Sacob's manager transport.
It will take the form of a Memorandum of Understanding with a target date for completion by end 1998. It will then become legally binding on each of the member countries, she says.
Above all, we are very excited about the agreements reached at the meeting. It has also opened the way to a dramatic improvement in the type and quality of service that could be available at border posts. Points of agreement reached at the meeting include standardised documentation, a suggested 10-hour working day seven days a week at all posts, same road user charges and same qualifications of staff, with minimum standards to be established.
Apart from suggestions of providing privately operated restaurants, pharmacies, postal services and accommodation facilities, the plan also involves labour trained in cargo handling with appropriate handling appliances as may be necessary.
A suggested mission statement for the consideration of individual border post management authorities was put forward indicating that the authority would be required to accept responsibility Ô to design, create and maintain all appropriate physical facilities for the efficient operation of the post.' This would include facilities reasonably required by the Public Authorities including offices, cargo inspection bays, a parking area for trucks carrying goods under investigation, a state warehouse and security.
Also necessary will be offices for clearing agents and freight forwarders, offices for representatives of trucking organisations who require permanent representation at the border post, and adequate parking facilities for incoming vehicles awaiting clearance.
By Leonard Neill
