One of the most concrete signs of SADCs shift toward soft infrastructure is emerging in Mozambique, which has launched a World Bank-supported project to transform key border posts into fully fledged one-stop border posts OSBPs and implement an integrated customs data-sharing system.
Transport corridor consultant Lovemore Bingandadi said the country had recently issued terms of reference for a consultancy to develop and operationalise the system.
That system will cover Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and will be implemented at all six OSBPs that Mozambique is working on, he said, listing key border posts such as Nyamapanda/Machipanda, Ressano Garcia/Komatipoort, Zobue/Mwanza, Mandimba/Chiponde and Milange/Mulanje. Mutual recognition agreements and the legal basis for data exchange will form part of the project. Member states are late, but they are now achieving some of the original goals, he added, pointing to multiple agreements Mozambique had already signed with Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa on coordinated corridor development and OSBP design.
