Africa-Press – Lesotho. In a significant step towards fostering regional economic integration, the Martin’s Drift border post, which connects Botswana and South Africa, has been the focus of a detailed study visit conducted by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat.
This initiative is part of a broader commitment made during the 13th Ministerial Task Force (MTF) meeting on Regional Economic Integration held in July 2013 in Maputo, Mozambique, where ministers pledged to enhance border efficiencies and trade facilitation at key border posts.
The implementation of the trade facilitation measures including the Coordinated Border Management (CBM) concept is part of the SADC Regional Integration agenda meant to support the Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap in consolidation of the Free Trade Areas
Senior Programme Officer Alcides Monteiro who led the SADC team of experts, said the objectives of the study included focusing on several critical factors such as the operating hours of adjacent border posts, the implementation of the CBM concept, and the efficiency of transit procedures. The study also aimed to evaluate the time required for goods to be released and the state of ICT connectivity at the border.
The Martin’s Drift border post is key and is located at the North-South Corridor that serves Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the rest of SADC Member States to some extent.
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