ACQUISITION OF BAGGAGE SCANNERS CHEERS EU

THE European Union (EU) says the acquisition of three baggage scanners by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry for Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) at a cost of € 210,000 marks a significant milestone in the advancement of Zambia’s border security and efficiency.

Speaking at the flagging – off of the scanners at the Government Complex on Tuesday, EU representative Matthias Reusing said that the introduction of the equipment represents a leap forward in the ongoing efforts to ensure seamless and secured border crossings in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region.

Mr. Reusing, who is Green Deal Rural Developed and Trade team leader, said it was not just an investment in technology but an investment in the people and their capabilities and appealed to all stakeholders to work together to make a better Zambia for trade.

“In today’s interconnected world, the smooth transit of commodities and individuals is vital for economic growth, regional cooperation and prosperity. By employing advanced technologies to ZRA we are enhancing the safety and efficiency of the border control processes,” Mr. Reusing said.

He said the EU had once again shown that it delivered on its promises as it had been supporting the digitalising of services at ZRA for many years and remained committed to progress and efficiency.

And Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Lillian Bwalya appealed to relevant stakeholders including the EU and COMESA to consider extending the support under the project to other borders in addition to Nakonde, Mwami, and Chirundu borders.

In a speech read her Director – Foreign Trade, Simon Ng’ona, the Ministry said the development could not have come at a better time than this when the Government was only implementing the Coordinated Border Management (CBM) system to six frontline agencies in order reduce the dwelling time at borders hence the appeal for extension.

He said for this to be implemented successfully, the support from the project was cardinal in that border agencies need connectivity, equipment, and appropriate infrastructure to anchor the CBM system.

“It is in this spirit that I wish to appeal to relevant stakeholders including COMESA and EU to consider extending the support under the project to other borders in addition to the named three highlighted above,” DrNg’ona said.

He said the Government’s aim was to reduce time on imports, exports, and transit through the introduction of efficiency in the way the process will be done from physical and manual to electronic.

“You are here to witness the flagging off of the baggage scanners for Mwami, Chirundu, and Nakonde One Stop Border Posts. The ultimate goal is to reduce the overall cost of doing business through efficient and effective processes and use of equipment and technology,” he said.

Meanwhile, ZRA Acting Commissioner Corporate Support Services Timothy Malambo said the scanners were a game changer in facilitating quick passenger clearance across the country.

He said the organisation had pledged to work tirelessly to attain its target of reducing the average clearance time of passengers from approximately eight hours to less than an hour from the time of arrival.

He noted that baggage scanners had come at a better time when technology had proven to enhance efficiency of customs operations, which consequently improved trade facilitation and overall revenue.

“These scanners are a game changer in facilitating passenger clearance across the country. With this equipment in place, ZRA will tirelessly attain its target of reducing approximately eight hours to less than an hour from the time of arrival,” he said.

Mr. Malambo reaffirmed ZRA’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and professionalism in the discharge of duties and remained committed to serving the best interests of the people and ensuring that borders remained secure, efficient, and conducive to legitimate trade.

COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe in her speech read on her behalf by Assistant Secretary General – administration and finance Dev Haman said the scanners will enable border enforcement agencies to identify and intercept prohibited items such as weapons, explosives, drugs and contraband goods with greater precision and efficiency.

“This will not only enhance the safety and security of our nation, but also help us combat organised crime and disrupt illicit networks that seek to exploit our borders for their nefarious purposes,” she says.

Ms. Kapwepwe said although COMESA had made significant advances in trade facilitation in the last 10 to 15 years at Member State level, the region was still full of challenges that added unnecessary costs to trade, resulting in an unfriendly business environment.

She expressed gratitude to the EU for the financial support which she said was showing true impact and contributing to the global and vision of COMESA on achieving regional integration.

She also applauded the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry for the remarkable progress that was being recorded in the execution of activities for upgrading the three border posts among the five targeted under the trade facilitation programme.