Beitbridge

BEITBRIDGE Border Post is a port that knows no sleep, and tradition has always detected a significant increase of traffic at the port during the festive season making, it a buzzing place crying out for efficacy of service to the travelling public.

But due to conspiring economic factors coupled with a lax of policy it has remained a far cry to other ports of its nature but the new political dispensation’s quest to boost productivity and to grow the national economy has seen Zimbabwe, just like any other progressive nation in the world, coming up with a raft of measures to remove trade barriers and improve the movement of goods and people through its borders.

In 2014, the Cabinet approved the setting up of the National Ports Authority (NPA) to co-ordinate operations and attend to teething challenges at the country’s ports of entries and the Attorney General’s (AG) office is currently seized with finalising the legal processes to operationalise the NPA, according to recent reports. Further, it has been proposed that, under the new order, the authority (NPA) will fall under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.

This is a body expected to deal with operations, administration, security, health, among other issues. Currently any department or Government agency can implement their own programmes, rules and regulations at the country’s borders, at the expense of other players including travellers and importers.