The Sunday News
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE completion of the US$300 million Beitbridge Border Post modernisation project will enhance the implementation of the One-Stop Border Post concept between South Africa and Zimbabwe, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube has said.
The project is being implemented under a Public-Private Partnership involving the Government, and private players (Zimborders Consortium) who are providing funding. The Zimborders Consortium is made up of a group of Zimbabweans, South Africans, international entrepreneurs and financial institutions and experts. The concession will operate for 17- and-half years following the completion of the construction works.
Prof Ncube said the upgrading of infrastructure at the port of entry will provide the necessary environment to roll out the initiative that will also promote the ease of doing business. Under a one-stop border, travellers and goods are cleared at one point for passage into either country, as opposed to the current setup where the clearance processes are duplicated on both components of the border.
In an interview soon after the tour of civil works on Friday, Professor Ncube said civil works moved a gear up when the Zimborders Consortium achieved the financial closure in November last year.
“This is a massive investment that has been made possible through a Private Public Partnership. The private players have mobilised funding through various financial institutions, while the Government provided the necessary technical support and concessions. Upon the completion of this massive project, we expect to see the one-stop border post concept being fully implemented,” said the minister.
Professor Ncube said Government agencies were employing a raft of measures to enhance trade facilitation and that things could be even better with more infrastructure and seamless border processes.
Civil works are being rolled out in three phases; pre-commencement works (phase 1), internal border infrastructure development (phase 2), and outside border infrastructure development (phase 3).
He said during the course of the project over 450 Zimbabweans will be employed, and the local business will also benefit through the supply of relevant building material to the contractor. So far 185 people have been employed to carry out works in the first phase.
It is also envisaged that the volume of human and cargo will increase five times when the project is completed.
An average of 500 000 travellers, 4 000 buses, 100 000 light vehicles, 40 000 commercial trucks used to use the border post monthly before the Covid-19 lockdown. President Mnangagwa laid the foundation for the project to take off in July 2018 and said the initiative was in line with enhancing the ease of doing business and further Zimbabwe is Open for Business policy. The project is expected to be fully implemented within three years. — @tupeyo
