Innovative ideas emerge from Sacu border meeting

Gaborone – It will be Valhalla at border crossings if there is implementation of some novel recommendations arising from a stakeholders’ meeting for the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) last week. Sponsored by the Botswana Ministry of Trade, the talks involved public and private sector players from Sacu member states Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and SA, although government representatives from SA did not attend. The agenda was non-tariff barriers to trade. One innovation to emerge from lively internal discussions held by road transport firms was separate lanes at border posts for different cargoes. “You can’t get behind a truck with a large load at a border post. You’ll be there all day. There should be a lane for courier service trucks, a lane for perishables, and other specialised lanes. The customs staff would be trained to specialise in one type of cargo. This would speed things along and save money,” one of the participants Jabu Vilakati, co-director of Sharp Freight which plies the Botswana/ Lesotho/Swaziland routes through SA, told FTW. Documents and the bonding of goods were key issues raised, and other practices that contradict Sacu’s role as a means to unify and simplify regional shipping. “Companies have to post bonds in each country. There should be one bond posted, a Sacu bond,” said Muzi Dube of the Swaziland Federation of Employers. Recommendations, which delegates will take to their respective trade ministries in preparation of the next Sacu ministerial meeting, include the need for a single customs document for use in all countries, instead of forms that differ from place to place. “Sacu countries cannot impose tariffs on member states’ goods, but this goes on. There are also the electronic data filing system incompatibility issues. The systems need to talk to each other,” said Dube. The ultimate transport grail – Sacu-wide 24/7 border post operations – was also promoted. “Trucks want to drive at night when there is less traffic and less heat for better tyre wear. The stakeholders are pushing for this,” said Dube.