Jolobala
Members of Parliament on Tuesday passed One Stop Border Bill which seeks to provide a legal framework for implementation of agreements signed between the Republic of Malawi and neighboring countries for operationalization of one stop border posts to facilitate coordinated border control for efficient cross-border movement of people and clearance of good.
The legislation will enable Malawi to comply with its obligation under the SADC Protocol on Trade, COMESA Treaty and other regional and international trade facilitation agreements.
Speaking with reporters in the August House, Minister of Trade and Industry Mark Katsonga Phiri said that the bill provides for the establishment of one stop border posts between Malawi and neighboring countries.
One-stop borders reduce the number of stops in cross-border trade and other transactions by combining and locating, at a single location, border and control activities between the Republic of Malawi and neighboring countries.
Phiri added that the bill aims at streamlining operations of all borders so that clearing of goods and people who are traveling to neighboring countries should be sped up.
“Now what it means is that if you are going out of Malawi and you clear on the Malawi side you will not be stopped again at the neighboring side. This will reduce time clearing people and their goods, it also reduces cost of imported goods,” he explained.
On her part, Member of Parliament for Machinga East Constiuency Esther Jailosi Jolobola said government should also consider retreating Nayuchi border post which she said is in bad condition due to poor management which is resulting to loss of revenue.
Jolobola added that the border post has been neglected for a long time starting with the previous leadership forgetting that Nayuchi is a big border post and if properly managed it can bring a lot of revenue in the country.
“Currently the state of the state of Nayuchi border post it is very pathetic as I am speaking with you right now a lot of traders are using uncharted routes for them to transport their commodities to or from Mozambique.
“It becomes very difficult even for those officers who are working with Nayuchi for them to manage or control those uncharted routes because they don’t have resources in terms of vehicles to help them to do patrols,” she explained.
She said that apart from the issue of border post, people have noticed that there is gold in the area and another person was caught stealing the gold as such government should seriously look into the matter on time.
Follow us on Twitter:
