The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has embarked on a capacity-building programme for border officials at various points of entry across the region on the Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime.

The programme aims to increase awareness and visibility of the regime among traders, border authorities and local communities, while fostering the seamless movement of goods and people.

Border officials at the Chiponde-Mandimba and Calomue-Dedza border posts between Malawi and Mozambique were recently trained.

The programme is expected to reach 80% of border entry points across the region by December.

Coordinator of the Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime Project at the SADC Secretariat, Rangarirai Machemedze, stated that the programme is aimed at addressing key challenges faced by cross-border traders.

Machemedze explained that the training seeks to strengthen the capacity of customs and revenue authorities, immigration officials, police, clearing agents, trade officials and cross-border traders to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade.

“We are here at the Mandimba-Chiponde border post, which is the border between Malawi and Mozambique. We have different stakeholders, including the police, immigration officials, customs and revenue authorities, as well as other border agencies and cross-border traders. We are delivering this stakeholder capacity-building programme to help them understand the benefits of the STRS and how to apply it at the borders. This capacity building is helping to improve their understanding of how to apply the features of the STRS and the benefits it offers."

A few months ago, Namibia and South Africa also discussed ways to remove barriers to cross-border trade and improve transport and logistics to support the seamless movement of processed goods.