BY ESTHER MSETEKA
GOVERNMENT has handed-over rapid testing kits valued at € 227,526 to the Ministry of Health-Port Health and other key Border Agencies that work on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) related issues.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga said the equipment has been bought under the Zambia Border Posts Upgrading Project (ZBPUP) funded through the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Trade Facilitation Programme.
Mr Mulenga is confident that the testing kits will help bridge the gap that exist in the testing and diagnosis processes of tradable food products at Chirundu, Mwami and Nakonde One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
Other key beneficiaries include Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency, Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Services and Zambia Bureau of Standards.
“It is for this reason that the Ministry, through ZBPUP has capacitated institutions that work on SPS and TBT issues. Therefore, the placement of testing equipment at the borders will help reduce the cost incurred by businesses in terms of transportation costs and lead time for clearance of goods at the borders.
“Further, this development is timely as it resonates well with the President of the Republic of Zambia and New Dawn Government’s aspirations of improving efficiency in trade processes, through reduction in time spent at border entry points,” he said this in a speech read for him by Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary for Trade Lillian Bwalya at the hand-over ceremony on Friday.
The Ministry, through ZBPUP has also procured and handed over various equipment valued at about K24 million to key beneficiary border agencies in the past year.
Also speaking at the handover ceremony, COMESA Assistant Secretary General in charge of Administration and Finance Dev Haman notes that part of the motivation to upgrade operational efficiencies at the three border posts was due to inefficient border clearance procedures that cause delays in the movement of both trucks and goods.
Dr Haman said several studies done so far, shows that increased costs of doing business in the region is among the factors hindering regional producers to compete favourably.
“It is accepted that trade facilitation has made significant advances in the COMESA region in the last 10 to 15 years , thanks you for the introduction of many modernization measures, including increased automation processes, enhanced system connectivity and interfacing, use of risk management, implementation of National Single Windows and establishment of OSBPs in several countries,” he noted.
Dr Haman, however, said despite the progress, border crossing in the COMESA region is still full of challenges that add unnecessary costs to trade resulting in an unfriendly business environment, and costly inefficient, and ineffective border controls.
Similarly, EU Head of Cooperation Claudio Bacigalupi is happy that Zambia, through the signed € 6,88 million sub-delegation agreement with COMESA is yielding results.
Mr Bacigalupi urged Zambia and COMESA to make the most of the last year of implementation of the trade facilitation programme to build on its achievements as the upgrading of border posts is still a priority that needs to be tackled along strategic corridors.
“The SPSs can indeed become TBTs if proper training coupled with agreed processes at borders do not take place. This equipment designed for testing and diagnosis processes of tradeable food products at the borders, is one of the solutions to eliminate impediments to trade at Chirundu, Mwami, and Nakonde OSBP,” he said.
Receiving the testing kits on behalf of other beneficiaries, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary-Technical Services George Sinyangwe said the testing kits will help to facilitate for quick clearance and identification of tradeable food items that might be of poor quality.
“Allow me to pay special gratitude to the E.U and COMESA, for the support rendered through ZBPUP, to procure rapid testing kits to be used at Chirundu, Mwami and Nakonde OSBPs. The equipment will strengthen the enforcement of the Food Act No 7 of 2019. It will further enhance market confidence, promote safe food and protect human health safety,” Dr George Sinyangwe said.