Ministers cut four challenges in Tanzam cross border trade

Photo: Guardian Correspondent

Omar Shaaban, the Trade and Industrial Development minister for Zanzibar.

By Joseph Mwendapole , The Guardian

TANZANIA and Zambia have successfully removed four out of 15 non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in order to simplify business processes between the two countries.

Omar Shaaban, the Trade and Industrial Development minister for Zanzibar, made this observation at a press briefing after recent bilateral talks at the border town of Tunduma.

The ministers meeting proceeded from instructions by the Heads of State who met in Lusaka last October, where they agreed, among other things, said that ministers from the two countries work on challenges faced by businessmen in cross border trade.

The talks started with 15 challenges and within three days four challenges were resolved, two on the Zambian side and two were on the Tanzanian side, he said, noting that Zambia was unable to speed up the delivery of cargo at the border due to the lack of a scanner to inspect the cargo.

The minister praised President Samia Suluhu Hassan for making available that scanner to put into gear the NTVs removal initiative. The Zambian authorities have written to the president that they have received the machine and are preparing to install it at the border, he said.

In Zambia there were many road blocks from the border to the city of Lusaka, now cut from 33 previously to 11, which he said was a big step as Zambia has able to simplify cross border trade and the business environment as a whole. 

Another border post is to be built in Kasesya, he said, while Chipoka Mulenga, the Industry and Trade minister for Zambia, said that the challenges solved will lead to ease of doing business.

“We have resolved some of the challenges that were not of significant interest to our two countries, to facilitate the conduct of business, thus increasing jobs by removing many obstacles on the way that were causing queues,” he said.

The two countries had succeeded in solving the challenge of the scanner on account of the close ties between the two countries, thus Tanzania o moved to purchase one.

“We believe that when meet again we will resolve the remaining challenges in the interests of our countries to facilitate the conduct of business,” the minister asserted.