Nakonde border post works near completion

By ANNIE ZULU

THE construction of one-stop border post (OSBP) facility at Nakonde/Tunduma border on the Tanzanian side has reached an advanced stage with 85 percent of the work done, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has revealed.

According to TRA Assistance Customs Manager Jomimmassa Nsindo, the facility was expected to be fully operational by May 2018.

“The construction is going on well, it has two phases and we are expecting phase one to be completed this December, while phase two by May next year,” he said. And Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner Customs Commissioner Services Sydney Chibbabbuka told the Daily Nation in an interview that the new OSBP would speed up and improve services at the border.

Mr Chibbabbuka noted that the OSBP facilities ease movement by bringing all border control services of two neighbouring countries under one roof, whether entering or exiting a country.

“The time people spend at the border will be reduced since they will be making only one stop. Traffic will be reduced between the two countries,” said.

He added that besides easing the movement of people and cargo, one-stop border posts also facilitate trade.

Mr Chibbabbuka said one- stop border posts promote efficiency at the border by reducing the time it takes in such tasks as clearing goods.

“For the private sector, time is money. The longer time spent on the border, the more processes, the more costly it becomes. The whole concept of OSBP is designed around reduction of time and making it so easy to cross borders,” Mr Chibbabuka said.

He also indicated that onestop border posts create accountability on processes and social cohesion around the border.

“For example, our traders crossing into Tanzania will not need to do anything on the Zambian side, they will cross and do all the required processes at the entry point in Tanzania and traders coming to Zambia will do the same on the Zambian side,” he said.