Africa-Press – South-Africa. Plans are afoot to facilitate smooth trading between South Africa and its continental neighbours.
The government is upgrading the country’s biggest land borders, but there are also legislative moves to implement the One Stop Border Post Policy (OSBP).
According to Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, several departments have come on board to ensure the smooth running of the OSBP.
He was responding to a question from ANC MP Bongani Bongo, who wanted details on the OSBP and its impact on the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
“The DHA [Department of Home Affairs] is currently taking the policy through the Cabinet process for approval.
“In November 2021, the policy was presented before the economic cluster, the international cooperation, trade and security cluster and the justice crime prevention and security cluster for support. The three directors-general [of the] clusters supported the policy as presented, and we hope to take the policy to Cabinet in March 2022,” Motsoaledi said.
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The AfCFTA, already signed by 54 out of 55 countries, is crucial for the continent’s growth and developmental goals.
A draft policy was presented to Cabinet in December 2020 for approval, and it resolved that the policy be gazetted for public comment.
The department held public consultations and received feedback and comments incorporated into the draft policy.
It then presented the draft policy to National Economic Development and Labour Council social partners in June 2021.
According to Motsoaledi, this process was finalised and signed off in December.
At the same time, a project has been initiated to redevelop six priority land ports of entry.
Motsoaledi said a project team concluded the drafting of the request for proposals (RFP).
“The RFP will undergo the approval process in the DHA, after which it will be submitted to the National Treasury for regulatory approval, on obtaining the regulatory approval from the National Treasury,” he added.
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The RFP will be ready to be issued to the market in March 2022, subject to the delegation, by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to the Department of Home Affairs, of the legal authority to procure the project.
Another factor is the legal mechanism required to collect an infrastructure improvement levy which will need to be agreed to, at least in principle, with Treasury.
“If so, guided by the technical studies commissioned by the DPWI [Department of Public Works and Infrastructure], bulk services will have to be augmented, and some privately owned land parcels needed for the project would have to be acquired,” he said.
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