Participants from JICA, AfCFTA Secretariat and AUDA-NEPAD (photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD)
summary
Event Title: Collaboration of three institutions to promote implementation of OSBP for realization of AfCFTA
Date: January 22-23, 2025
Co-organized by JICA, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
Main Participants
JICA, AfCFTA Secretariat, AUDA-NEPAD, East African Community (EAC), Market Community of Southeast Africa (COMESA), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and Kazungula Bridge Project Office (KBPO)
Contents
On January 22-23, 2025, JICA, together with the AfCFTA Secretariat and AUDA-NEPAD, held a One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) Knowledge Sharing Seminar as the first joint effort by the three organizations and reviewed the operational status of the Kazungula OSBP. A total of 21 participants from COMESA and EAC, in addition to the three organizations, attended the seminar and discussed ways to promote trade facilitation and regional integration in Africa in preparation for TICAD 9.
Lively discussions among JICA, AfCFTA Secretariat, and AUDA-NEPAD at the OSBP seminar (photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD)
OSBP Seminar (January 22)
The seminar was the first time that the three organizations (JICA, AfCFTA Secretariat, and AUDA-NEPAD) exchanged views at the working level, and there were lively discussions on trade facilitation activities and issues on the ground.
Current Status and Issues in Trade Facilitation
First, each organization shared its role, activities, and achievements in trade facilitation, and summarized their current status and challenges (e.g., lack of digitalization in infrastructure and challenges in corridor management coordination were mentioned by AfCFTA and AUDA-NEPAD). In this context, the EAC’s Single Customs Territory (SCT) and COMESA initiatives were presented as successful examples at the regional level, and the possibility of their deployment across Africa through the AfCFTA Secretariat and AUDA-NEPAD was discussed.
Comparison of evaluation methods and the need for uniform standards
The participants also exchanged opinions on the evaluation methods of trade facilitation conducted by each organization. With the common goal of corridor development, the following evaluation features were presented
AfCFTA Secretariat: Under the AfCFTA corridor approach, an assessment of the eight main continental corridors was conducted from a broad perspective, including logistics infrastructure from port to final destination, customs processes, number of vehicles cleared and congestion conditions.
AUDA-NEPAD: Under the integrated corridor approach, AUDA-NEPAD, together with JICA, prepared the PIDA 10-Year Implementation Report, which summarizes the achievements and impact of the Africa Infrastructure Development Program (PIDA) over the past 10 years, and the OSBP Status Report, which summarizes the status and impact of OSBPs in 14 locations on the continent. and the OSBP Status Report, which summarizes the status and impact of 14 OSBPs on the continent.
JICA: Various technical assistance, surveys, and evaluations, mainly bilateral cooperation, centering on the three priority corridors of the Northern Corridor, the Nacala Corridor, and the West Africa Growth Ring.
There was a shared recognition of the importance of complementing each other’s evaluation methods and establishing uniform evaluation criteria.
Strengthen capacity building and training programs
Capacity building of trade facilitation stakeholders was also a focus of discussion, and the strengthening of training programs to improve the skills of customs officers and border officials was discussed. The importance of coordinating trade and customs policies, ensuring proper maintenance of facilities and ownership thereof, as well as ensuring policy consistency to maximize the operational efficiency of the OSBP were also emphasized. Through this seminar, the approaches to trade facilitation of each institution became clearer, and important steps were taken to further strengthen the collaboration among the three institutions.
Cargo scanners installed at the Kazungula OSBP (Zambia-Botswana border) have significantly reduced the time required for customs clearance (photo courtesy of JICA).
In the spacious Kazungula OSBP parking space, cargo trucks and regular vehicles are parked separately to ensure efficient traffic flow. This contributes to a significant reduction in traffic congestion (photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD).
Kazungula OSBP (Zambia-Botswana border) facility (January 23)
The next day of the seminar, participants had the opportunity to see the actual operation of the Kazungula OSBP, which connects Zambia and Botswana. The North-South corridor through Botswana and Zambia is one of the important transport corridors in the Southern African region, but it is separated by the Zambezi River, which flows along the Botswana-Zambia border and has been a bottleneck in the economic development of the Southern African region.
In 2021, the Kazungula Bridge will be completed in this region where the borders of four countries (Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia) intersect. JICA is providing technical assistance in soft aspects in addition to supporting the establishment of the OSBP adjacent to the Kazungula Bridge through yen loans. The participants mentioned that this case could be used as a reference for other border crossings in Africa.
Group photo with the Kazungula Bridge, completed in 2021, in the background. The Zambezi River, where the bridge will be built, is one of the few places in the world where the borders of four countries (Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia) intersect (photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD).
At the Kazungula OSBP, participants were briefed by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the Kazungula Bridge Project Office (KBPO) and then observed the cargo terminal, customs processing area, and cargo scanners in various facilities at the Kazungula OSBP. Participants also compared the old border facilities with the newly established OSBP in 2021 to better understand the improved functionality and efficiency of the facilities.
Discussions in a meeting room in the Kazungula OSBP following a presentation by the ZRA and KBPO on improving trade, transportation, and revenue between Zambia and Botswana in the North-South Corridor (Photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD)
From former bottleneck to lifeline of the North-South corridor: the evolution of the Kazungula border
The Kazungula border, which once took several days to cross, has been dramatically transformed by the construction of bridges and OSBP. Today, it functions as an important logistics hub supporting the North-South Corridor, contributing greatly to the acceleration of intra-regional trade. Below we introduce the transition of the Kazungula border with a “before and after” look.
BEFORE] Former Kazungula Border Facility
[After] An OSBP facility that centralizes immigration and customs procedures. As the gateway from Botswana to Zambia, it contributes to trade facilitation on the North-South corridor (photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD).
Before the construction of the Kazungula Bridge, it was necessary to use ferries to cross the Zambezi River, causing long delays and traffic congestion caused by cargo trucks. This was a bottleneck that hindered the smooth movement of goods along the North-South corridor.
After] Kazungula Bridge over the Zambezi River. It smoothly connects Botswana and Zambia on the North-South Corridor and will open in 2021 (Photo courtesy of AUDA-NEPAD)
Future Prospects and Strengthening Cooperation
Many participants from the AfCFTA Secretariat and AUDA-NEPAD had never visited the Kazungula Bridge and the OSBP before, and the seminar was not only a chance to understand the activities of each organization, but also to learn deeply about the impact of the OSBP by actually visiting the sites. The seminar was highly appreciated by JICA, which took the lead in organizing the seminar.
The seminar and the operational review of the Kazungula OSBP further strengthened the cooperative relationship between JICA, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and AUDA-NEPAD, and also contributed significantly to deepening mutual understanding with regional economic communities such as COMESA and EAC. This has further strengthened the collaboration to promote trade facilitation and regional integration across Africa.
JICA will continue to support regional integration and trade facilitation in Africa and play an important role toward sustainable development, JICA will continue to support regional integration and trade facilitation in Africa and play an important role toward sustainable development.
© Source JICA
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