Zim urged to act fast on dualisation
ZIMBABWE stands to lose millions of dollars in transit fees if it does not expedite the dualisation of the long-awaited 900km Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway, one of Southern Africa’s main trunk roads, industrialists have warned.
Some industrialists told The Herald on the sidelines of the just ended second SADC Industrialisation Week (2017) hosted by South Africa under the theme “Partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry and Regional Value Chains”, that Zimbabwe was now losing cargo business to the Botswana- Zambia trunk road into Africa’s interior.
This was coming at a time when Botswana and Zambia have stepped up work for the expeditious completion of the multimillion-dollar 923-metre Kazungula Railroad Bridge across the Zambezi River to promote regional integration and increase trade and economic growth.
The construction of the US$259,3 million bridge started in 2014 and was expected to be completed in December last year.
However, the completion time has been extended to 2019 due to operational challenges.
The Kazungula bridge project was being undertaken by Zambia and Botswana with financial assistance from the Japan International Co-operation Agency and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
“Zimbabwe stands to lose business running into millions of dollars if it does not quickly move to speed up the completion of the Beitbridge-Chirundu highway,” said an industrialist, who declined to be named.
“Shipping and forwarding agents are now relocating to Botswana as cargo movement along the route is building up slowly and steadily. It’s competition at play and a healthy one for that matter.
“Truckers are moving cargo from South Africa to Zambia and DRC in less than four days despite the use of ferries across the Zambezi River. To move cargo across Zimbabwe to DRC, for instance, may take a week or more. Roadblocks, potholes and the poor state of the highway makes BeitbridgeChirundu trunk road unattractive.”
More than 6 000 trucks are cleared at the Beitbridge Border Post every month raking in over $816 000 a month for the fiscus, according to the Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Association of Zimbabwe.
Industrialists estimate that Zimbabwe stands to lose more than one third of business and transit fee revenue if it does not make bold steps to upgrade the BeitbridgeChirundu highway on time.
This year, Zimbabwe contracted the China-based Austrian firm Geiger International to upgrade the Beitbridge-Harare segment at a cost of US$984 million under a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer model.