Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Dingani Banda has said the Authority will embark on an ambitious modernisation agenda of creating non-stop border posts.
Mr. Banda said this is a trade facilitation concept where all processes and procedures would have been completed before people and goods reach the border, therefore creating an environment where physical checks are very minimal at the exit or entry point.
He said while the Authority has the physical infrastructure, ZRA will start addressing other key soft issues such as reducing the number of border agencies and replacing them with an online presence. This streamlining of processes would entail for example, reducing border agencies from fifteen to five.
Mr. Banda said in such an environment, all border agencies would be connected to one system and help improve trade facilitation and enhance border management.
The Commissioner General said this following the opening of the Mwami/Mchinji One stop Border Post by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and his Malawian counterpart, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera yesterday 7th December, 2022.
Mr. Banda added that the single window is one of the trade facilitation tool that the ZRA will explore with other border agencies.
He said silo processes have had a negative impact on trade facilitation, therefore the Authority takes keen interest in President Hichilema’s call that ZRA, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and working together with other revenue authorities address the bottlenecks that exist.
The Mwami-Mchinji OSBP is the largest border connecting Zambia and Malawi and the border’s traffic links to the Nacala Road Corridor which connects Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
Construction works for the Mwami-Mchinji OSBP commenced in September 2019 and was completed in July 2021 with a total cost of US$9.1 million for Zambia and US$8.9 million for Malawi.
